


Minecraft Diaries Season 1: Thieves of the Immortals

by PopitLockitWriteit



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), aphmau - Fandom
Genre: Character Death, Dark Magic, Death, Dialogue, Dialogue Heavy, Elemental Magic, Emotional Hurt, Faked Suicide, Fantasy, Fights, Fist Fights, Gen, Goddesses, Gods, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Inner Dialogue, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magic-Users, Magical Accidents, Magical Artifacts, Magical Tattoos, Minor Character Death, Muteness, Near Death Experiences, Past Character Death, Post-War, Pre-War, Suicide Notes, Swordfighting, Swords, Swords & Sorcery, The Nether (Minecraft), Thieves Guild, War, Witch Curses, Witch Hunters, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PopitLockitWriteit/pseuds/PopitLockitWriteit
Summary: A full rewrite of the original Minecraft Diaries: Season 1.---Note: author has not watched Diaries Rebirth, so elements from that series may not be present in this rewrite. I heavily go off of the original Diaries alone, also including my own elements.---All chapters are 3k-4k words long at most.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. References and Maps

As this is a Minecraft series, all of the character designs are made as Minecraft skins. All of the skins are on the site MinersNeedCoolShoes and have been edited together by me. This page will be updated only when skins have been made as character are introduced. Characters will be added if they've been introduced, but links will be added over time.

Since I can't do all the 'animated ears and tails' stuff like they do in Diaries and Mystreet now, you just have to deal with them being drawn on the skin. It isn't the greatest, but it's not the worst thing ever.

I can't make the skins the exact same, so some things may be a bit changed in comparison, but they can still be recognized as the characters. These are mainly just to give you guys something that isn't the descriptions in the story to go off if you're trying to really imagine the story.

Fair warning right now; the MinersNeedCoolShoes website can be a little bit buggy, so if you have problems getting into the site, it's probably just having one of its down days. (It had a lot of problems when I was making the first 4 skins...)

SKINS:

[Aphmau](https://www.needcoolshoes.com/skin/ucZVm/aphmau-s1)  
[Kawaii~Chan](https://www.needcoolshoes.com/skin/ucZVX/kawaiichan-s1)  
[Garroth](https://www.needcoolshoes.com/skin/ucZW3/garroth-s1) (Yes he still has the helmet, but I didn't want to put that on the skin)  
[Laurance](https://www.needcoolshoes.com/skin/ucZVH/laurance-s1)  
[Cadenza](https://www.needcoolshoes.com/skin/ud0FT/cadenza-s1)

I also made a video showcasing a map that I made to showcase Phoenix Drop!   
I plan to make more like this, so you can expect more map tours! All of them are listed below:

[Abandoned Phoenix Drop](https://youtu.be/DWW_OTRs1RE)   
[Phoenix Drop Refugee Camp](https://youtu.be/Xx8TcUrOqbA)


	2. The Only Path to Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau wakes up somewhere new.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Fate by Our Last Night

the girl's body aches as it trudges along. her face is red hot, sweat soaking into the scarf on her neck, and the sweater constricting her. but still, she refuses to settle. she has to move before things get so bad she can't.

in the distance, a shape makes itself visible. she squints, trying to get a better look at whatever it is ahead of her, stabbing into the sky and clouds above, making dark lines against the sun. 

her eyes go wide as the realization hits her, and she feels a smile tug on her lips, hidden behind the safety and dampness of her scarf.

_a town._

she hasn't been in a real village in _years_ since she left the last. she's been 'on the run' most of her life anyways. she'd almost forgotten what a permanent settlement looked like. hesitantly, she pulls down the scarf over her face, letting her smile show to the world. she feels the air on her face again, finds it easy to breathe now that she wasn't so desperate to cover up.

she taps her foot against a stone lodged in the ground, before kicking it out of place, throwing dirt and grass roots up along with it. her feet fall hard against the ground, hard like boulders, from how heavy her body feels. secretly, she is desperately praying for somewhere to just relax... 

as she gets closer to the walls, she realized something she could only barely catch from the distance. the walls of the village were broken, and charred, coated with cobwebs, moss, and various types of vines. some of the vines even seemed to be flowering. purple petals, dull and dying, were making a thin line around the mud pushed against the walls to keep them standing. the gate is wide open, seemingly broken. huge pieces of the wall were missing, so the gate wasn't needed anyways.

she peeks inside the city, nervous. it's a dimly lit city against the evening sky, with small buildings scattered around the area, surrounded by marketing spots, and an old stone brick road, mixed with moss and grass from the invasion of dirt and vines between the cracks left in the streets. 

it seems like no one lives here now...

what a perfect opportunity, isn't it... whatever happened here must've been bad for the townsfolk, but for her, this was different. it was like a paradise. for a thief, anyways.

she noticed a pretty looking house very close to the entrance. one side was coated in vines, but it had a small, beautiful pond in front of it, beside the road. a lilypad path made the way to the door over the water, covering kelp and reeds that were growing inside it. a single lily of the valley was planted by the stairs leading to the front doors, barely even wilting now, despite how ancient this place felt. 

carefully, the girl stepped over the lilypads, up the stairs, pushing open the doors. inside the building seemed to be what looked like a cafe. a rusty bell was practically molded into the counter top by now. she attempted to ring it, and barely heard a click. a lone sapling inside a flower pot by the window had begun to die, its branches hanging low and the flowers on it wilting. the girl reached through the bag on her back, eventually finding and pulling out a small canteen of water. there wasn't much left... but she could always get more.

she gently pushed part of the sapling to the side to expose the dirt it was trying to grow in, and poured some of the water into the dirt, watching it soak in. no one would tend to it... but she could keep it alive for now. she noticed another flower, still in bloom in a pot on a table by a window seat. she decided to water that one as well, even if it seemed it didn't need it. she didn't mind.

it seemed like nothing was of use to her downstairs... she noticed a staircase, and headed up. a small bedroom had been made above the makeshift cafe. dirty beds with messy bed sheets, a tidy desk, and an armor stand were all that remained. she rummaged through the desk and the side drawer, only finding a few rotten apples, and a notebook inside. the notebook had ripped pages, almost half of it gone... she decided to take it with her. who knows, she could use it for a **diary** if she wanted to write her thoughts down. she slid it into her backpack. nothing else seemed useful to her.

she noticed a final floor; an attic.

she climbed up the stairs into the attic, and found a wall of furnaces, with a chimney leading out from them into the air outside on the roof. she checked them anyways, not expecting food, but she had hope... and found nothing inside them, not even coal. useless to her...

finally, after searching long enough in this house, she left. another had sat across the road in front of the house. it was only one floor, and it wasn't that big, but she went to search anyways. a small desk with a dying flower, a bed, and an armor stand covered in guard armor, a sword in its handle... she watered the plant with some of the water in her canteen, and took the sword off the armor stand, weighing and feeling it herself. 

it was dull, but still relatively heavy. a few more good hits out of it would be wonderful. she slid the sword into her belt, not paying it much mind.

she sorted through the drawers at the desk, but found nothing of use to her. some sticks, rotten apples, stale bread, dying saplings... so sad.

she left the house relatively untouched, other than the sword she had taken, and the flower she watered.

another house was down the road, far behind the one she had just visited. it barely looked like a house with how broken down it was, littered in vines and small spiders everywhere. the girl wasn't happy to want to set foot in this house, but she had to. she shoved the door open quickly, watching a few pairs of roaches and spiders crawl out of the cracks and skitter off into the grass. she waited until no more seemed to come before she head inside, just making sure there were no more bugs. the house was very small, only having a bed, furnace, and a desk cramped into the corner, with books and papers scattered across it. it reminded her of her old lord's desk... 

she lifted one paper, reading it in her head. it seemed to be a 'report' on lady irene. many of the words were crossed out and smudged near the end, having arrows pointing everywhere. many of the books had marks made out of dead leaves in them, marking important locations. she paged through the books herself. once more, all about irene. whoever lived here must've had an obsession... she checked the desk drawers. only more papers... she looked inside the cabinets, and only found two eggs and a lot of seeds. the eggs seemed to be cracking. she removed them all from the cabinets, and held them close. she was done with this house. she left immediately.

as she stepped outside, the eggs further cracked. they must not have been in there for long if they managed to develop... she took the eggs outside, setting them in the grass. she pulled out a bowl of stew from her bag, uncovering it, and making sure it was still good. it smelled alright; it would do. she dropped some of the seeds inside, and pulled out her pickaxe. she used the end of it to crush the seeds into the stew and mix it together. she heard the eggs cracking more, and she pulled the pickaxe out of the mixture, she licked the stew off it, and wiped some off on her shirt. it tasted okay, it would be fine. as she finished, the eggs hatched. one revealed a baby chick, and the other... she didn't quite know what kind of bird it was yet. the two hatchlings squirmed about, chirping madly. 

she scooped them up into her hands, and set them down beside the bowl. they seemed to know it was there, as they pecked at it curiously. slowly, they began to eat, continuing to chirp as they did so. once they seemed full, they pulled away and squirmed in the grass. they had began to shiver. the girl covered the bowl again, putting it back in her bag. she lifted the two hatchlings up in her hands, gently putting them in her scarf to keep them warm. they continued to chirp as they curled into the fabric, their beaks resting outside of it so she could see them if she looked down. their eyes remained closed, until they fell silent, and seemed to be sleeping. the girl checked them to make sure their chests were still moving. still alive; perfect. she decided to leave their eggs behind, no one would question them anyways if they came by...

she continued searching through the village for now. she came across what seemed to be a large barn, with broken windows and doors flung off the hinges at the front. she peeked inside, seeing stalls where animals may have once been kept. a huge hole had been blown in the wall on the left side, where 5 pens had once been. the animals had escaped by now. the grass was dead in the rest, a flower in one was wilting, and a saddle was left behind to rot in one of them. there was a door at the back that she had interest in. as she walked in, she noticed this was like the cafe before; a miniature house had been made behind this place. it had a bed, a desk by the door, and a wall of chests on the other side, a fireplace at the back, the only difference in it being a hole had been blown in the wall, matched by a similar hole in the stone wall directly behind it. the girl checked all of the chests, just to see if there was anything useful to her. she only found a stone hoe, a rusty pair of shears, and plenty of wool. she didn't need the wool, so instead she took the hoe and shears. she could repair them herself, after all. she left after she felt she had all she wanted.

another house was beside the barn, on stilts above a river inside the town. she headed up the stairs into the house. it was relatively small inside, a fully carpeted floor, a sofa by the window with a dog sitting on it, and a fishing rod on a pedestal-- ...wait.

she glanced over again, seeing the dog. she walked over, moving its cream fur to look at its collar. its named was engraved in it; princess peach. once she touched it, it woke up. the dog barked, and licked the girl's hand. she flinched, not expecting it to wake up, but she pet it gently. it seemed happy to see her, as if she was the first person it had seen in years.

the girl checked through the chests lined up on the walls, and found nothing useful other than rotten fish and bait. she wouldn't be fishing anyways, she had no need for this. as she tried to leave the house, the dog hopped off the sofa and followed her. 

" okay, princess peach, guess you're joining me... " she pet the dog as it pushed up against her leg. it wasn't complaining, it just followed her quickly.

further down the road, she found one of the market spots at the plaza. the wool making up the roofs seemed burned, and ripped through. it was a sad sight... even the torches on their lower levels were put out.

she checked through the chests on each of the spots in the plaza. the only good things she discovered were a lot of money, and a few packs of seeds. she mixed all of the seeds together in one bag, and hung it on her belt.

right beside the plaza was a large pair of houses on stilts. 

she continued to explore the village, not finding much else that was useful, really. until, her senses were suddenly heightened hearing something new. she scampered up a tree in the plaza, and waited, nervously sitting on the branches. the dog curled up under the tree below her, acting as if it was asleep. the girl heard footsteps below, and peeked through the leaves. 

a group of people was there, each wearing a set of armor. " any signs? " one of them spoke out.

" negative, " the other two shook their heads, but only one spoke up in a soft voice. " but the chests in dante, emmalyn, and kawaii~chan's houses seem to have been tampered with. "

" someone has been here to raid our town..! " the last spoke in a gruffly voice. " perhaps they are still here! we need to search. we don't know who it could be, we must make sure we can be safe elsewhere. "

the three guards did not question any further, and split up to search. the girl felt stuck, stuck in this tree like a cat after being chased by a dog. when it seemed like the guards were gone, she slid down, glancing around just to be sure. she needed some place to hide, now. if they saw her leaving at the entrance, surely she would be pursued, and this place did not offer many locations to hide. she didn't feel safe anymore.

but still, she had a mission. she could hide somewhere... the large houses!

she quickly snuck off up the stairs, the dog following after her the whole way. she could hide around here, and continue stealing... she just had to be careful. of course she would be, she's a master thief for a reason.

she explored the platform, first taking note of the farm growing on one side, and the horse stable right beside it, underneath a house. two horses were fast asleep inside, still surviving off the hay in the stall. good thing then... she headed into the house in front of the staircase. it had a small kitchen area, a desk, and a bed underneath the bookshelf stairs in the corner. she checked the desk; nothing important. some rotten fruits and vegetables were in fruit baskets in the kitchen area. the smell was a bit overwhelming, so the girl fled upstairs. a small living area was up there, with a sofa and fireplace. two dogs were together curled up. one was big, black with white patches, and the other was small and golden. she looked at their collars; respectively, they were named chocolate and butterscotch. like before, the dogs woke up from her touch. the bigger dog barked, and the girl panicked.

she waved her hands, and put one hand over her mouth, motioning for the dog to be quiet. it tilted its head, confused, but it didn't bark again. now the girl was just desperately hoping that the guards didn't hear that...

the girl shook her head, and glanced over to the stairs. a large window was open nearby, revealing a garden next to it. she walked back outside to the area. it was small, but very pretty. like before, all three dogs now followed her. not like she minded, really, but they may pose a problem... it seemed like she was on the next floor now, so she could go explore the other house. she walked off toward the house, and headed in the side door. it was surprisingly small inside, barely fitting the staircase and a bunch of chests. a bed was by the stairs. she headed up the stairs, and the dogs waited downstairs. there wasn't much upstairs for her to take notice of, but there were a lot of chickens. a few eggs had been laid, and just began to hatch. loud chirping filled the upstairs as the chicks emerged from their eggs, the mother hens immediately taking to comfort and feed them. the girl smiled at the sight, but was reminded again of the situation she was in. she explored all there was to explore now, surely. she had to go.

she headed down the stairs, watching the dogs closely. she headed out the front door, and down the staircase. she glanced around the lower staircase to the ground, making sure no one seemed to be nearby. the guards seemed to be gathered in front of the barn. this was her chance. she bolted down the stairs, all the dogs coming after her. she noticed a staircase against one of the walls. it seemed broken, but she would be able to get up it if she tried hard enough.

she ran up the stairs onto the wall, hearing the sword she had grabbed clink on her belt. she became scared, but chose to ignore it. now she was only hoping the chicks wouldn't make noise in her scarf, and the dogs wouldn't bark... luckily, the chicks seemed quiet, and seemed still alive. she checked to make sure they were still breathing, and felt relieved when she saw they were. perfect...

she ran up into the guard tower, but soon moved to walk normally, out of fear of a guard being up there. she couldn't tell from the ground if there was, but she desperately hoped there wasn't...

just keep it low... as she reached the top, she noticed chests in a circle around the area. she rummaged through each of them, and was disturbed finding one of the chests empty. the others were filled with damaged crossbows, bows, and arrows to complete the circle. nothing useful to her... she heard footsteps floors below, and panic set in. the guards were coming up; she couldn't be caught like this..! the dogs seemed to panic as well, and one of them barked. _shit._

" something is here! " she heard one of the guards say from below, and the footsteps get louder, more frequent.

she retrieved a dagger off her belt, and glanced back at the empty chest ahead. she felt a terrible thought come to mind as she climbed inside of that chest, but it all blanked out as it came into fruition...

...

...

...

when she came to, she was immediately drawn in by the smell of something cooking close by. she groaned as she sat up, feeling a painful ache in her arm and stomach, and the scratchy movement of bandages as she straightened her back.

suddenly, she was pushed back in the position of lying down, and she glanced up with a glare at who could've been doing that. a girl with pink hair and cat ears stared down at her with amber eyes. despite how comforting her cute, dressy appearance looked, the slits in her eyes showed the girl hostility.

" don't sit up, " she spoke in a soft, high-pitched voice, breaking the serious aura. " kawaii~chan doesn't want you to get hurt anymore than you are... "

" what... " it had been so long since she used her voice, it was scratchy. it felt like she had never talked before in her life. " where am i..? "

" somewhere, " the cat girl didn't give her a straight answer, instead returning to whatever she was doing beside the other girl. " um... kawaii~chan is her name. she wonders if you remember your name as well, strange girl. "

she wants to sit up again, but it did sting a lot to push herself up on her arm, and to let her stomach bend like that. she tried not to focus on the pain as she gave her answer. " aphmau. just leave it at that. "

kawaii~chan simply nodded. " kawaii~chan doesn't mind being called KC if kawaii~chan is too difficult to say. "

aphmau made a mental note of that. " i wanna ask again... where am i? how the hell did i get here? "

" for the first question, aphmau~san is in a refugee camp. it's outside of the village we found aphmau~san in. that village is phoenix drop. well... it _was_ phoenix drop... "

" am i allowed to ask what happened there? " aphmau was starting to get out of the fuzz in her head. " it looked pretty beat up... "

kawaii~chan didn't look back at her. " it's... it's a story kawaii~chan would rather not get into currently. it's a sensitive topic, nothing that aphmau~san needs to concern herself with anyways. "

aphmau could respect that. " right, yeah. can't go info-dumping information on a stranger, can you..? "

kawaii~chan just shook her head. she turned back to aphmau as she finished what she was doing. " here. " kawaii~chan handed aphmau a small cinnamon roll. it seemed like the glaze was recently put on, as it was trying to drip off the side. " aphmau~san should eat this. it will help with her pains. "

somehow, she had known aphmau was in pain... well, she supposed she made it obvious.

_she did stab herself after all._

before the guards found her, she had blacked out from blood loss, the chicks chirping wildly in her scarf, and the dogs barking like mad in front of the chest. she was bleeding from where she had stabbed herself in the shoulder, and blood was slowly pooling out of her stomach, around the dagger still buried in her body, inside the chest, staining the wood red...

that's right...

" please eat, aphmau~san. " aphmau must've been daydreaming. when she snapped back into reality, her hand was around the cinnamon roll, and the girl in front of her was urging her to eat, pushing it toward her mouth.

" i can do it myself, " aphmau pushed her back, annoyed with her being so insistent. she bit into the cinnamon roll, and felt her mood brighten a tad. it was very sweet and creamy, still warm on the outside but hot in the middle, making the glaze melt. there seemed to be glaze inside it as well. it was a creamy mess, and it was gone very quickly. 

" i... that was really good, kawaii~chan, " aphmau smiled at the other girl. " you made that yourself..? "

" yes! " kawaii~chan clapped her hands together happily. " kawaii~chan used to be a baker in phoenix drop... she lived in her cafe by the gate, and made all sorts of treats for newcomers. she wanted them to feel as happy and welcome as possible when they first walked in... "

" i see... " so that was her house, huh... aphmau drummed her fingers on the ground. she used the silence as a chance to glance around. she was in a small pink and white tent. a furnace was inside, and only one bed in the ground, which aphmau was laying on. a chest was against the wall, holding it up it seemed. it was dim inside, having only one lantern against the back of the tent. 

" it was fun running that cafe... " kawaii~chan's ears seemed to droop, and her tail stopped swaying. " she misses it already... "

" well... maybe you can set up another shop in another village? i'm sure if the higher ups tried your sweets, they'd be begging the lord to allow you to stay. i've only tried one of them, but it was so good... my mouth is watering thinking of getting more, haha. "

" good to know, hehe..! " kawaii~chan giggled again, and her ears twitched. " kawaii~chan is not sure if she will take up that thought... but it is a very nice thought she will consider. "

aphmau nodded. they fell into silence again. momentarily, aphmau had forgotten her chicks, until she felt her scarf and discovered they weren't there.

" ah- k-kawaii~chan! do you know where my chicks are..? they were in my scarf... " she really was panicked about that.

" oh, yes, they're here! " kawaii~chan pulled over a small nest of dead leaves and sticks. the chicks were curled around each other inside it, sleeping soundly.

" oh thank irene... " aphmau sighed, happy to see her chicks alright. " i'm glad to know that they're okay at least. "

" speaking of okay... " kawaii~chan set the nest by aphmau so she could watch them. " is aphmau~san alright? what happened to her? "

" umm... " time to lie, aph. " well, i was just in the area... i explored the village looking for other people, when this guy ambushed me inside. took my own weapon from me and stabbed me with it... i don't remember what happened after that point, or how i got here... i just remember my whole body being stiff like wood. "

" some of the guards found aphmau~san, " kawaii~chan explained softly. " she was in a chest in the guard tower, bleeding half to death... they were alerted because of aphmau~san's chicks chirping, and some dogs barking so loudly. they brought her back to kawaii~chan for healing and feeding once she woke up... "

" so i see... thank you, kawaii~chan. i already feel better, and more comfortable. "

" good to know... " kawaii~chan nodded her head. she then got to her feet, being careful of her head. " kawaii~chan needs to collect some things, but aphmau~san should rest for now. her wounds still need time to heal... kawaii~chan will be back, she won't disturb. "

" be safe out there... " aphmau mumbled as she lay down.

kawaii~chan said nothing as she exited the tent.

the only comforting sounds as aphmau fell asleep were the rustling of the tree leaves outside, the faint movements of the chicks in their nest, and she felt safe from the numbness on her upper arm and abdomen...


	3. We're Broken People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau learns more about Kawaii~Chan's past.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Screen by Twenty One Pilots

as aphmau stirs, she is first made aware of the numbing pain in her arm and shoulder. it seems whatever had healed her was only temporary; sleep let it wear off. disappointing... she felt so comfortable last night, and now it felt like she had been sleeping on bricks this morning. her arms and legs were stiff. 

she sat up, stretching her arms behind her head, and stretching her legs out on the sheets below her. as she stretched her back and arms, the pain in her scars seemed to worsen. she quickly pulled herself back just so she could sit properly, hand covering over the tear in her sweater arm. it felt like the fabric was pulling against her skin, somehow tighter around it now than it had been yesterday when she fell asleep.

yesterday... was it even yesterday? it felt like she'd slept longer... how many days had passed after the blood loss knocked her out, and she blacked out in the tent..?

she'd never be able to figure that out; it couldn't have been too long, but, something felt... off.

her thoughts are disrupted as the front of the tent opens, allowing bright light in from outside. aphmau shields her eyes, not used to the light after being out for so long. 

" aphmau~san is in here, kawaii~chan doesn't know if she's awake... " she recognized kawaii~chan's voice before she even set foot in the tent. " aphmau~san! oh, thank irene aphmau~san is awake... "

" i just woke up... " aphmau rubbed her arm, soon folding her hands in her lap. " did you need me for something, kawaii~chan? "

" kawaii~chan spoke to one of the guards, and he wants to speak to aphmau~san. "

as if on cue, one of the guards walked in the tent, leaving it in the dark again as the fabric covered the doorway.

" he just wants to ask aphmau~san a few questions, don't feel scared! "

the guard sat down in front of aphmau, making the girl narrow her eyes. " like i have a reason to be scared... "

" as you're in an enemy camp, you _should_ be scared, " the guard spoke up. " but... as kawaii~chan said, i just want to ask you a few questions. the head guard wants to speak to you himself, but he needs something to go off of. "

" alright, hit me, " aphmau shrugged, glancing back at the nest behind her. she crossed one of her legs over the opposite knee, clasping her hands in her lap, and turning her head back to the guard. " what do you need? "

" easy things out of the way first... " the guard crossed his legs criss-cross style, both hands on his knees. " our guards found you in a chest in one of the old guard towers. how exactly did you end up there? "

" being honest, i'm not sure... " aphmau sighed. " as i told kawaii~chan, all i remember is being stabbed suddenly by some individual while i was out. the next thing i knew, my vision went dark, arms and legs went stiff, and then i woke up in here. everything else is fuzz. "

" understandable... " the guard sighed, almost seeming annoyed with her answer. " so why were you in the village? "

" it looked abandoned to me, " aphmau turned so her side faced the man, and her vision focused on the nest. small chirps filled the tent as the chicks woke up, and their chirps progressively got louder. they were hungry. she pulled her backpack off, pulling back out the food she had made, and uncovering the bowl. she set it down in front of the chicks, who smelled it, and crawled forward to eat. " i was hoping to spend the night with some shelter, maybe get a few things to tide myself over on my journey, maybe some materials to begin a settlement elsewhere... but, yknow, then i got stabbed and dragged here with borderline amnesia. "

the guard watched closely while aphmau fed the chicks, as if trying to study her method to feeding the chicks. " your journey..? "

" i go where the road takes me, you know. i'm that kind of person. " once the chicks were full, they curled back together in the nest, but they didn't sleep. they still seemed awake right now. aphmau put the stew back away in her bag, and turned back to the guard with a blank expression. " anything else? " she shrugged, raising an eyebrow.

" hm... " the guard looked to the ground, eyes closing, fingers tapping his knees. he moved so he could sit on his knees, the toes of his boots pressing to the floor. his eyes opened again and they looked up at her. " don't you have a village to be returning home to? you must come from somewhere. "

" i _did_ have a village, " aphmau tensed at the question. " i left after my lord died. i couldn't bear to handle what the new lord was planning to do with the city, so i disappeared. i haven't found some place that would take me in, or some place i wanted to take me in. "

" i see... so you are just a traveler? "

" if that's how you wanna put it, yeah. i guess i am. though its more like a wanderer at this point. i dare say i've explored almost every place ru'uan has to offer. at least... at the moment. " 

" of course. that makes more sense, " the guard nodded his head. " i believe that's enough... though just for you to be aware of, you've been ordered to stay here in kawaii~chan's tent until we figure out what to do with you.

kawaii~chan's muscles tightened up, making it much easier now for aphmau to see them. her arms looked thin, but clearly they weren't as weak as expected. " uh, excuse kawaii~chan? did the head guard decide that? "

" yes, he did, " the guard spun around to stare at her. " is there an issue with that? "

" well, um, you know there is! " she seemed to drop her act from before, the fur on her ears and tail bristling as they flattened to her head and the ground under her feet. " kawaii~chan has a very specific rule; travelers, passer-by's and people who only have non-life threatening injuries or illnesses are not allowed to stay in kawaii~chan's space for more than one night! that pastry kawaii~chan gave her has left her with scars, but if she eats another they'll be gone when she wakes up tomorrow morning! there's no reason for her to stay in kawaii~chan's space! "

aphmau seemed uncomfortable. she always hated arguments, but when people made it blatantly obvious her presence wasn't wanted, it... stung.

" well, you don't have a say in that, kawaii~chan, " the guard stood up, his voice lower than before, much more serious and almost demanding. " i don't control what the head guard decides, and neither do you. if you want to gripe, you can speak with him yourself; i'm just the messenger, and unless you have a better place where you want the girl to go, i'd recommend you quit complaining. "

the guard didn't give kawaii~chan the chance to respond. even as she opened her mouth, she was pushed aside when the guard marched out of the tent. she groaned in annoyance, her tail lashing behind her back, and her ears pressed flat to either side of her head. she brought her arm up, resting her elbow in her palm, and her other hand covered part of her face.

" so, _do_ you have anywhere else for me to go? " she dared have the guts to ask, discomfort in her voice and tone both, trying to make her sound weak. but she tried to cover up with a smirk.

kawaii~chan pulled her hand off her face to give aphmau a slit pupil glare. " no, kawaii~chan doesn't, she just doesn't want aphmau~san in her space longer than she needs to be. " she huffed, trying to calm herself down as she walked back to the furnace inside the tent. " kawaii~chan is just... going to make aphmau~san some more food to heal her wounds. "

" how does that work, if i can ask..? just wanna break the tension a little. "

" kawaii~chan doesn't mind talking about her work to do that... " the lashing of her tail didn't cease, but her ears came off her head, swiveling back into place, pointed forward in the direction she was looking, as she was focused on the new baking she was starting on. " kawaii~chan is a witch, but she also loves to bake and provide for others. she combines both of her works with the help of her mentor. she owned a cafe in the old village, where she provided sweet foods, such as the cinnamon roll aphmau~san ate, depending on how severe the wounds were. in aphmau~san's case, the cinnamon rolls are enough. they heal her wounds, but they leave scars the first time. if eaten again, the scars disappear, as they do with all of kawaii~chan's foods. "

as kawaii~chan talked, she lit the furnace with a snap of her finger, a fire spark bouncing off of the tip of her pointer finger into the coals, setting it ablaze with blue fire. she continued to speak as if this wouldn't distract her at all.

" more life threatening wounds require larger foods, and potion work into drinks. one drink, and a slice of cake leaves scabs. the next drink, and cake slice leaves scars. the piece of cake alone heals the scars, and soon her patient is in tip-top shape! ...if the wound heals fast enough so they don't die in their sleep of course. the secret ingredient? kawaii~chan uses a creamy, milk like potion. before it's mixed in, it kind of has a liquidy texture like blood... which is why it's called a healing potion. when she makes healing pastries, she uses it instead of milk. if the recipe doesn't call for milk, she waters it down, and uses it in place of water and butter! her patients can't even tell the difference between healing pastries and normal pastries. "

" that's very impressive, kawaii~chan... " aphmau watched kawaii~chan pull a very small tray out of the cabinet beside the furnace. she flipped a bowl over on top of it, the one she had been working with apparently, and a small plop followed. she took the bowl off, sliding the tray on a rack inside the furnace, watching it closely for a moment before she snapped her fingers, cleaning the bowl she was using, and putting something else in it.

" kawaii~chan has been doing this her whole life! " her tail had began to sway rather than lash. " she is very impressed with her work. her mentor is very proud of her as well, but encourages her to do more baking than witchcraft and brewing... as the healer of her people, kawaii~chan can't give up making things the way she does... who knows what she could manage if she could make other potions into her pastries for the guards before battle, or before patrols.. missions to other cities... she could provide food for the animals as well! "

" you sound excited about that; your voice is pitched more than usual. "

" ah, is it? " kawaii~chan looked back at aphmau, blush going across her cheeks. " kawaii~chan is sorry... but yes, she is very excited! when she and the others find a new place to settle, she will have to start experimenting immediately..! "

" i'm sure your people would be excited about that as well if you told them, " aphmau managed to smile.

" indeed... " kawaii~chan sighed, clapping her hands together. the tray in the furnace appeared in front of her, and she poured what was in her bowl over top of what was on the tray. she summoned a fan to her hands, fanning over it, trying to cool it down since it just came out of the furnace. she turned away from it as she yawned, and then turned back. she snapped her fingers again, the bowl and fan both disappearing. she moved the food to a plate, and brought it to aphmau. it was just another cinnamon roll. " this will be the last healing pastry before aphmau~san can have proper food. is there anything in particular she wants? "

aphmau took the plate from kawaii~chan, setting it in her lap. " carrot stew sounds really nice right now... "

" kawaii~chan will go get the materials then! just eat up, and she will be back very soon! " kawaii~chan had returned to her normal self, as if what happened moments ago hadn't. she headed out of the tent, not needing aphmau to have the last word.

aphmau stared down at the cinnamon roll on the plate. just like the last, the glaze was melting on op of it, and it looked like it would definitely be good... she picked it up, taking a big bite. sure enough, like the last, it was sweet and creamy, though it seemed more doughy this time around. she wasn't complaining, though. it was gone in minutes. she was just waiting to go numb now.

as she waited, she looked back at the chicks in their nest. she leaned down, making sure they were still breathing. luckily, they were, but they seemed cold. they were shivering lightly. she debated taking off her scarf, but she didn't want the others to see her face... she glanced around the tent for something else she could use instead. she found a small rag on the cabinet beside the furnace. she grabbed it, gently wrapping the chicks in it. one of them chirped, but soon quieted again a second later. it seemed to be asleep once more, but once again, aphmau checked just to make sure...

as she did so, she realized she hadn't even given the chicks names. she didn't know what they were... at least, what the one hatchling was... she knew very well the other was a chick; yellow feathers had begun to grow on it already. it was developing fast.

what to name them...

in light of the current events, she decided to call the weird hatchling cutie, and the chick cobweb. aphmau would've laughed at the names, but she was disrupted once kawaii~chan came back into the tent.

" kawaii~chan is back! " she sang-out as she returned. " she found a few carrots in the crates, some mushrooms, spices, oil mixes, and milk... this is the best she can manage for the time being. she can't guarantee it will be good, but it will be something... "

" i'm sure it'll be fine, " aphmau shrugged. " carrot mushroom stew... that doesn't sound all that bad. "

" really, it doesn't... kawaii~chan will try it herself before aphmau~san can, though, don't worry! " she nodded to aphmau, pulling a pot out of the cabinet. she also pulled out a bowl and spoon, setting both on top of the cabinet. an area on top of the furnace opened up, some smoke of the fire escaping before kawaii~chan fitted the pot into it. she poured in the bucket of milk, and began cutting the mushrooms using the claws that extended off her nails. she was very precise, and very careful...

" you must've been doing this for a while... how long have you been training with your master? "

" oh, kawaii~chan has lost track of time..! " the cat girl laughed. " she thinks it was... well, whenever she moved into the village... she discovered it when she was out with her family. the village itself wasn't even on a map, so we didn't expect to find it when we came here. kawaii~chan was shocked, but she moved in right away, and met her mentor! she had a huge interest in magicks and baking... so her mentor helped her combine her love. she stayed with her mentor after her family moved away, but she moved into the village when she became an adult. she stayed there until now... but she still stays with her people! "

" right... " aphmau glanced at the ground. " what was the name of the village, if i'm allowed to ask..? " it had been mentioned before, but between being knocked out so much and her basically _having_ borderline amnesia, she forgot.

" kawaii~chan mentioned it before... but she doesn't mind saying again. " kawaii~chan sighed, pausing after she finished cutting the mushrooms. " it was called phoenix drop. it used to be a very beautiful place... kawaii~chan likes to think she contributed to its beauty for a short time... " she grabbed some of the spice bottles, dumping some of the insides into the pot. she grabbed a large spoon out of the cabinet drawer, and began stirring the mixture. she slid the mushrooms in soon after, and began crushing them up in the mixture as it began to boil.

" phoenix drop... i feel like i've heard that name somewhere before... " aphmau tried to think... why was that name familiar to her now?

" maybe it's because kawaii~chan said it before? hehe! "

" funny... even if you did, i don't think it's because of that, kawaii~chan. i feel like i heard of it before the lord died... "

" chances are it's because of the war... " kawaii~chan mumbled.

" war? " aphmau had only just faintly heard the last part, but she guessed what the rest may have been.

kawaii~chan sighed. " aphmau~san has heard me, so she may as well know... " she turned to aphmau, her tail wrapping around the spoon to continue mixing the pot. " phoenix drop is at war with o'khasis. the new lord wants to wipe the city out because... his brother is among our guard. and he wants more territory under o'khasian rule. he doesn't listen to our pleas for peace, and this became the last straw. he destroyed our beautiful town, killed our lovely people... even our lord died at the hands of him... "

kawaii~chan's fur had begun to bristle. aphmau wanted to comfort the girl, but wasn't sure it was necessary. " a-ah... "

her ears twitched on her head, and her eyes met the ground. " ...kawaii~chan is scared, in all honesty. but she is part of this village; she will fight and she will serve for it. and... being honest, the main reason she doesn't want aphmau~san to stick around is because... well, she and the guards don't know where aphmau~san came from. if she truly does not remember what happened, she could very well be a spy for o'khasis and be unaware she is doing damage. kawaii~chan isn't sure how that would work, but she hasn't seen what the lord can do herself... " 

" the lord must work in mysterious ways... " aphmau shook her head. " sick... and don't worry, i understand why you feel the way you do about me. for all you know, i could be lying about everything i've said so far. i wouldn't know it either. "

" exactly, " kawaii~chan turned back to the pot, and began cutting up the carrots. " but, secretly, kawaii~chan wants to believe in aphmau~san. she seems nice, and caring... and she doesn't want anything bad to happen to aphmau~san's birds. "

aphmau glanced back at cutie and cobweb. they were still fast asleep, wrapped in the rag she had gotten.

" right... speaking of them, i-i saw they were cold, and i used that rag on your cabinet as a blanket for them... i hope you don't mind that. "

" oh, kawaii~chan doesn't mind at all! " she turned her head to flash aphmau a smile. " she cares a lot for animals, she wants them to be safe! she doesn't care what it takes to make that true! "

" you're very understanding, kawaii~chan... "

" kawaii~chan has been through and done a lot. she has been shaped in many ways by what the world around her has done, and continues to do. "

things fell to awkward silence, the only other sounds being the tapping kawaii~chan's claws made against the cabinet as she cut the carrots, and the splashing sounds of boiling milk. kawaii~chan slid the carrots into the pot, dumping in a few more spices, and another bucket of milk. she stirred it slowly, and she hummed as she did so. her tail swayed behind her, and she seemed quite happy at the moment.

it was comfortable...

of course, until what sounded like knocking came from outside. kawaii~chan left the spoon in the pot and turned to aphmau. " kawaii~chan will get that. the stew is almost done, so don't worry! " she smiled, and exited the tent.

aphmau lay back down, and sighed. her arm and stomach felt numb from the medicine kicking in. she wasn't in pain, but she wished she could feel her body move properly.

after a few minutes, kawaii~chan entered the tent again. " aphmau~san, someone else would like to see you. "

aphmau sat back up, stretching her arms behind her head. " who? " she was tired of visitors already. really she just wanted to sit alone with kawaii~chan and keep chatting. but she can't have that peace, can she?

kawaii~chan moved out of the way as another guard came in. the first feature on him aphmau realized was his cold, cerulean eyes poking out of the front of the helmet he wore.

" this is garroth. he is phoenix drop's head guard. "


	4. Silent in the Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unexpected visitors make an appearance.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Trees by Twenty One Pilots

" the head guard, huh... " aphmau's eyes narrowed up at the man before her, staring directly into his eyes, feeling as though something might happen if she turned away from them. his own were locked on hers, most likely thinking the same.

" yes, he's going to be talking to aphmau~san just for a little bit. kawaii~chan does need to get a few things more for the stew as well, since it isn't turning out like she wanted... so really, garroth~san had good timing. he can sit with aphmau~san and talk until kawaii~chan returns! "

" wait, kawaii~chan-- " once again, before aphmau could finish her sentence, the cat girl's tail was sliding out of the tent, and disappeared a mere second later, leaving her alone with the man.

she sighed, moving to sit on her knees, wrinkling the sheets further. " wonderful... should i even ask questions about this? "

" i think i'll be doing that for now... " the man's voice was deeper than ones aphmau had heard previously, but it was smooth. it didn't break, didn't change for a moment. different didn't begin to describe it. if anything, it was... unnatural.

" okay, hit me with em. i might have some answers for you, maybe some questions, we'll see what happens, " aphmau tried to make herself as comfortable as she could manage. she would be seeing a lot of strangers. may as well try to make it a pleasant experience while she has the chance. " c'mon, you get the first 20 questions. "

garroth seemed to roll his eyes as he sat down in front of her, on his knees as well. he seemed prepared to get up at any moment. " very funny... first of all, i just want to confirm. your name is aphmau? i want to be sure i heard what kawaii~chan said correctly. "

" yeah, it's aphmau. it's a weird name, i know, but it's not hard to say. "

" not hard at all. alright, now next... our guards found you in a chest and injured, how did that happen? "

" just like i told kawaii~chan... " aphmau was getting tired of repeating herself. " i was passing through, and i got jumped. next thing i knew, my arms and legs were stiff like i'd been out for days, i was bleeding like a madlad, and then i woke up in here and had a cinnamon roll shoved down my throat. "

" one of kawaii~chan's healing pastries... it seems like they're taking their effect on you, " he mentioned to aphmau's shoulder. she hadn't looked at it in a while, and so she glanced down. barely a scratch was across her arm now, no longer covered in bloody bandages. the wound on her stomach must be the same.

" seems so... "

" that matches what the other guards told me. let's see then... "

aphmau shrugged, lightly touching the wound on her arm, not feeling any pain like what would come from a bruise or anything similar.

" i don't recommend touching it, miss, " garroth spoke up firmly, but made no move to stop her. not like she wanted to be touched anyways, she would probably bring out the sword she found if he even dared. and he must've guessed that as well, for when she looked at him, he wasn't looking at her hand; he was staring down at the sword in her belt. she glanced down to the sword, moving her hand from the wound, and resting it on the sword's handle. 

" it's barely a scratch, i'm sure it'd be fine. didn't even hurt at all. just continue with the questions, i wanna be alone as much as you probably don't wanna be around me. "

his body grew rigid hearing her say that, his nails digging into his knees, and the helmet went dark as his eyes closed. he sighed deeply, and opened them again. " kawaii~chan mentioned to me that you used to live in a village, but didn't name it. am i allowed to ask what the name was? "

aphmau swallowed hard, taking her other hand and scratching the back of her head. " ...i haven't quite finished grieving. i'd rather not. "

" understandable, i won't push you, " he waved his hand. as if that was comforting at all...

" appreciated... " aphmau mumbled. she couldn't sound happy, even if he was respecting her space.

" continuing on then... " garroth straightened his back, and looked around the tent. he wanted to distract himself, and didn't want to have eyes on her all the time. though, he wasn't stupid. he tried not to let his eyes leave her for too long. no risks here. " you passed through the village for..? "

" shelter, some supplies, maybe a map, " aphmau shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers against the sleeves, being careful of her wound this time. she didn't want to annoy him. " i guess i succeeded in finding shelter and supplies, but i still don't really know where i am, and this wasn't the shelter i wanted to get. i've been here longer than i'm wanted anyways. kawaii~chan made it obvious she doesn't want me around. she's only tolerating me because you told her i have to stay. "

" then she can be mad at me. frankly, i don't care, " garroth simply rolled his eyes, and leaned back. " she's not the one who makes orders. anyways... did you see who the person was that injured you? "

" if i did, i couldn't see their face. i don't remember much from when i blacked out... " aphmau sighed.

" hmm... " garroth was suspicious of her, it was evident by the ways his eyes shrunk as they narrowed, making it dark behind the helmet again. " that may have been caused by your stomach wound... bad things usually come from being hit in places with a lot of blood... "

" how would you know? " aphmau tilted her head.

" as a guard, it's pretty much a requirement to know vital areas that should be hit on others, and avoided on oneself. they're all the same, mostly, depending on scenario. simply to injure, you may hit the arms and legs, best places being the elbows, shoulders, and ankles. vital areas to hit include the head, chest, the stomach or abdomen, and the neck. i've won many fights using what i was taught... "

aphmau made a mental note of everything he just said. " huh... so you mean if i hadn't gotten the healing, i could've bled out quickly? "

" _very_ quickly, " garroth nodded. " it doesn't take very long to bleed out from a stomach wound. the guards found you just in time. we suspect you were injured and put in that chest when they went to explore the town to retrieve our old supplies. they said they found out the chests had been rummaged through. either your doing or that person's. not long after, they came back carrying you. they at least knew better not to remove the dagger in your stomach... "

" why didn't they remove it? wouldn't it hurt more to leave it in? "

" yes, but you would've bled much faster if it had been removed. you would've been dead in minutes. "

" oh boy isn't that comforting... " aphmau sighed, running her hand along her stomach, and soon letting her arms fall parallel to her sides again. " well, i guess i'm glad they had the courtesy to leave it then. speaking of which, actually, where is that damn thing..? i could keep it as a friendly reminder. "

" i'm sure kawaii~chan has it in here somewhere. you'd have to ask her about it, she's the one who removed it once they brought you here. "

" wonderful... so we're waiting on her then? "

" i guess... but i don't plan to stay for much longer. i do have work to do around the camp, i can't stay and chat forever. "

" neither can i, " aphmau pulled her shirt down, tightening her belt down around it again. " my wounds are all healed, and they don't seem like they'll open at all as long as i don't injure those same spots again, so i may want to get going after kawaii~chan finishes that stew. "

" you plan on leaving just like that? " garroth almost seemed surprised, which just made aphmau confused.

" uhh.. yeah? i'm a problem anyways, i told you. it'd be best if i left once this all blows over. "

" i wouldn't think so. your injuries are not 100% healed, first of all. they look sealed, but you aren't sure of that. they haven't had the time they need to properly close. if anything, those marks are more like scabs now. secondly... perhaps if you stay, we may be able to offer you permanent shelter in our new village. "

" permanent shelter, for a wanderer..? " aphmau debated taking the offer, but... " sir, i don't think i could do that. i'd rather not add weight onto this camp. i'm only another mouth to feed. "

" you can always feed yourself, it doesn't have to be us providing for you. you know how to feed yourself, and you must have food in that bag of yours. "

" right... " somehow, she was reminded of the chicks again. she took the stew bowl back out of her bag, and almost as soon as the smell left, the hatchlings woke up, and began to chirp. she set the bowl down in front of the nest, and they scrambled to feed. she decided to just leave it as she spoke to garroth again. " i have seeds as well, i can grow my own food. but, still garroth, i don't think it would be right of me to stay. "

" well... what would it take for you to stay? i'm not trying to beg, i'm only curious. we could use something of yours, who knows. you may find purpose in our town that you couldn't in your old village. " 

aphmau looked down at her hands as they interlocked in her lap. she closed her eyes, trapped in thought for a few moments. maybe this is her chance...

she sighed as she spoke up again. " kawaii~chan told me a little about the war between phoenix drop and o'khasis. it was obvious that wasn't everything, so i want to know the rest. you're the head guard, the second closest to a lord. i want to know the rest of this war. maybe then if i know, i can provide help in the war efforts. "

" somehow i knew you'd ask about that... i'm surprised she said anything, but i'm not at the same time. she can't hold her tongue, " he sighed, adjusting the helmet on his head. " well, i'm not sure if she said this, but... the lord of o'khasis currently is my brother, zane. we both are ro'meaves. i left o'khasis to become a guard of phoenix drop after my father died. i didn't want to be the lord; none of us did really. all 3 of us... but because our brother disappeared, and i renounced myself from being a citizen of o'khasis, and an heir, zane took control. through the last few years... the power has gone to his head. he has formed a jury, locked my mother up in the dungeons... and really, i'm regretting not staying. as the eldest sibling, i have rights to being the lord. zane could only take the role as the rest of us simply weren't there. "

" so i see... " aphmau tapped her hands against her thighs, mulling over what garroth was saying.

" truly, i believe zane thinks we left because of him. we seemed to have 'abandoned' him, leaving him to rule alone. if i was the lord, my brothers would've been there as my guards. we would've had eachother's backs. but i left to grieve, and be away from the city, and... who knows where my brother is. dropping all that responsibility on zane was... wrong. i don't think that's the only reason he is the way he is, but it may as well be part of it... and if not, i don't know what has happened to him. "

" and it's not like you can just ask now... " aphmau sighed. " too far gone. what are you gonna do at that point? "

" right..? " garroth really did seem to regret it. a certain sadness showed in his eyes. aphmau would've guessed him to be tearing up by how they glowed in the darkness behind the helmet. " but... continuing on... is there anything else you need to know..? "

" none that i can think of... but as long as i am with you, i want all my questions about this town and this war answered to the best you can manage. and i mean _you_. alright? "

" absolutely. if it's useful information, i am willing to provide, if you are going to be asking. "

" well... then-- " 

before she could give her answer, aphmau was cut off as kawaii~chan burst into the tent, eyes wide and tail frizzy. " g-garroth~san, we have an emergency! "

" what is it? " garroth got up and spun around, eyes right back to serious, as if he hadn't been tearing up at all.

" a-a few guards returned from their patrol... they found shadow knights outside of phoenix drop..! "

" w-what?! " garroth's eyes went wide, and kawaii~chan nodded feverishly.

" t-that's what the guards told kawaii~chan..! come, come, she will take you to them! " kawaii~chan ran back out of the tent.

garroth shook his head, and looked back to aphmau. " you're coming along too. "

" what?! why me?! " aphmau was prepared to leave at any point, but she didn't know what was really waiting for her outside of the medical tent. 

" i don't trust you enough for you to stay here by yourself. and you said you'd be willing to help if you stayed, so come on. you can start now. "

" ugh..! " aphmau got up as garroth stepped out of the tent. she removed her sword from her belt, and pushed open the fabric holding up the tent door so she could slide out past it.

like when the door opened before, aphmau had to cover her eyes from the new bright lights outside. she wasn't used to being outside now after being indoors for so long. now she could get a good look at everything.

the camp wasn't that big, there were a lot of tents made out of many different materials, and the tent she was in seemed to be the smallest one. kawaii~chan really didn't want a lot of patients, it seemed. a small farm had been set up, which a few people were tending to currently. a horse was fast asleep nearby, a cart attached to the saddle on its back, and it was loaded with wheat, potatoes, various mushrooms, and carrots. well, now she knew where kawaii~chan got her supplies from...

she wanted to admire the sights as her vision adjusted, but she had to focus now. she saw garroth walking off, and was very quick to tail after him. he had drawn his own sword. it was longer than it was wide, but it had 3 pairs of curved spikes coming from the piece near the handle, curving upwards toward the blade, and then sharply turning outside. his grip on it was very tight, his gloves wrinkling because of it.

" yo, garroth, not to like... be dumb here but... what's so bad about all this? "

" you'll find out once we get there, if what kawaii~chan says is true. just... keep it down for now, we want this to be in and out as fast as possible if it turns out these guards were lying to us. "

aphmau shut herself up after that. she didn't want to disturb. 

a group of guards were stationed outside the camp. one of them was curled into a ball on the ground, shaking violently. kawaii~chan was knelt by him, whispering things to him and patting his back, trying to calm him down.

" what happened here? " garroth spoke up as they approached the group.

" one of the bastards saw us... " one of the other guards spoke up. clear frustration in their voice. their hands were twitching under their crossed arms. " zenix almost got caught by em, so he's in shock right now. " they motioned to the guard on the ground that kawaii~chan was coddling.

" right... kawaii~chan, take him back to your tent. help him out a bit. we're going to investigate. "

" r-right, garroth~san..! " kawaii~chan wrapped her arms and tail around zenix as she lifted him up, and got to her feet. " kawaii~chan will do her best!! " she ran off, clearly in a bit of a panic herself.

" who's this chick? " the other guard took notice of aphmau. the first thing she noticed was how his voice was higher than the other guards' voices. at least, the ones she'd heard so far.

" she's the wanderer the other guards found in phoenix drop the other day. she's joining us for now; we can't keep her in the village as long as we don't know entirely who she is. "

" understandable... " the first mumbled, with a huff of annoyance. " so are we going or not? "

" we've got no choice. they might still be there. we have to go now, or never, " garroth shrugged, tightening his hold on the sword. " and no confrontations. we can't be caught this time, who knows what'll happen if they follow us outside... "

" right, yeah, " both guards brought out their swords, the higher voiced one speaking to garroth. " and what if they catch us? "

" well, we kill them again, obviously. " garroth seemed so calm saying that, it was honestly... scary. but what did he mean by again..? now aphmau was confused all over again. " as long as there aren't many of them, we should be fine. "

while aphmau was pondering what they meant, she came back to her senses as they walked away from her. they weren't ready to wait, so she ran to catch up to them, and walked alongside garroth. she wanted to speak, to do anything, but she didn't want to risk messing this up. 

they walked in silence as they approached phoenix drop. one of the guards spoke up as they got near, but kept their voice down. " so, are we actually searching for them..? or just checking if they're still there? "

the higher voiced guard whispered back to the other. " those are basically the same thing. either way, we might find shadow knights. let's just pray that we don't. "

they went back to total silence as they stepped through one of the holes in the front gates. this was the first time aphmau got to take in just how much damage had been done... this place was a true, total wreck of war and mother nature. it was littered in grass and dirt, vines covered everything and flowers sprouted in the ground wherever they saw fit. there were even some animals wandering around, and eating the grass. a group of three dogs were sitting together with three horses and a donkey near one of the worst hit walls. each of the bigger animals had carts to their backs that were full with chests and rope. the dogs seemed confused seeing the larger animals.

aphmau became distracted by them, recognizing the dogs from when they followed her out of the houses, but she snapped back to her senses hearing garroth's voice.

" no splitting up, that's a recipe for disaster. let's move. "

the others followed his orders without question, leaving aphmau with no real choice but to follow suit.

as they headed down the path, aphmau peered in through the broken windows to see inside the buildings, just making sure nothing was hiding there. who knows what she could see... just the slightest glimpse might give her a heart attack.

_or the slightest sound._

after walking for a while, the sound of footsteps became evident to them. they weren't alone.

as if by impulse, aphmau leapt to the nearest tree, digging her nails into it. she looked back at the guards, whisper-yelling to them. " climb! we need to hide! "

they seemed hesitant, but as soon as she disappeared into the leaves, the other three followed close behind her, perching up in the tree on other branches. they heard the footsteps below them, and peeked through the leaves to see what was going on. a small group of shadow knights came together nearby, and one of them removed their helmet, revealing the man underneath. sleek, ruffled black hair, piercing blue eyes, and red vein lines underneath his eyes. the guard with the higher voice gasped, and immediately garroth clapped his hand over their mouth, being careful not to make much more noise, but just enough to shut him up.

but it seems that shadow knight already heard. and was looking around, now uneasy. " we aren't alone... " he hissed. " knights! find them! i know they're here... "

each of the shadow knights split up, and began searching the area in every spot available. when it seemed like they were far from the tree, aphmau whispered to the other guards. " can someone please tell me what the deal with these guys is?! "

garroth sighs, letting his voice lower to answer her. " shadow knights are 'people' that live in the nether. they're ruled by the shadow lord, supposedly the first shadow knight. an immortal one in that case. usually, in our world, they work as assassins and spies. they're sent by the shadow lord himself in that case. "

aphmau nodded as she listened, and glanced back down to the ground. she held her hand up to silence garroth as one of the shadow knights walked past. they paused, glancing at the bark of the tree, and then walking off again. once they had gone, aphmau lifted her hand again, and nodded to him, to show he could speak again.

" we don't know much about them at all... " garroth shook his head, and glanced to the ground. 

" one thing we do know for sure is... " the higher pitched guard spoke, but his voice quieted even further as he uttered the last part. " you can only become one if you die. "

just then, the branch below the other guard creaked, as if it was ready to snap.

" there! " the shadow knight from before called out again, his voice coming closer to the tree. " in the tree, someone is up there! "

at least now, aphmau understood what garroth meant by 'kill them again.' and now she might understand what it's like to become a shadow knight...


	5. Keep Holding On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can see the heavens high up amongst the leaves.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne

aphmau felt her heart pounding heavy in her chest as footsteps got closer to the tree, and then paused. they were directly below. the other guards seemed to be panicking as well, though their panic was much more obvious than aphmau's own was.

" c'mon out, you all..! " the leader called up to them. " we won't hurt you... too badly, heh heh... "

it's painfully obvious the guards are scared. these guys mean serious business if they're that afraid... aphmau glances at their surroundings, and looks up in the tree. it's much bigger than they think it is. and idea sparks in her head, and she moves to stand properly on the branch, rather than squat with the rest.

" here's our plan... " aphmau whispered to each of them. " we gotta go up higher. they may follow, but if they do, we break branches and kick em down. "

" a-are you insane..? " garroth seemed to be having a hard time keeping his voice down. " what if we fall? "

" that's not part of the plan. and if it happens, it'll happen. what comes after that will decide if the rest of us survive. " aphmau wasn't worried at all. " just trust me. i've done this before. whatever happens here, if we don't move, all of us are going to be caught. so we can decrease the risk by going up, or we stay here with our rat tails between our legs, hoping that nothing bad happens when we're chained. "

very quickly the guards understood what she was saying. while still hesitant, they each got to their feet, waiting for her. she nodded to them, staying silent. quickly, she began throwing herself up the branches, swinging up further in the tree, not waiting for the rest to follow her. while they were slow, they still moved, pushing up into the tree further and further, wanting to match her, but to no avail. they were still slow, 

the shadow knights had began to climb, from the bark of command their leader gave out. and he was right on her heels. literally. when she reached the top of the tree, she felt a hand grip around her ankle, and yank her down. her chin smacked against he tree branch, and she grappled onto it with her arms, glaring back at him and kicking her leg in an effort to get him to let go. 

" you're not getting away so easily!! " he hissed out at her. 

before he realized, the branch below him had begun to crack. aphmau could easily tell from here. she grinned, her grip on the branch holding her up tightening.

" so you think? " she cocked her head, a smirk playing onto her expression.

the shadow knight seemed confused, his grip on her ankle only getting tighter, making it hurt. " what is that supposed to mean? "

she let out a low hiss as she swung her other leg forward, hitting him in the nose, a satisfying crack sounding as the two connected. his hand tugged her leg, and fell slack as he fell backwards, plummeting down the tree, smacking his head and other limbs against tree branches, and he landed face first into the dirt at the bottom, blacked out from the injuries.

she would've laughed at her victory, but a scream sounded on the other side of the tree, a few thuds sounding, and a louder on as whoever fell hit the bottom. 

...that was the deeper voiced guard, wasn't it..? 

aphmau swung herself back to the tree, and began climbing down. it seemed the others had the same idea, shadow knights included. each of them fall to the ground, and the shadow knights swarm the fallen guard. 

aphmau motions for garroth and the higher voiced guard to follow her. garroth motioned back to the shadow knights, and the other. aphmau draws her hands across her neck, and shakes her head. she pokes her thumb against her heart, and sticks her tongue out. the short explanation; if they go back, they will die.

garroth and the other run forward, going toward one of the holes blown in the wall, on their way to the refugee camp.

aphmau glances back, only faintly hearing the shadow knights talk.

" your friends aren't coming back for you, " one of them says, a clear female amongst the bunch. " so you better tell us where we're gonna find em next. "

" i-i'll... i-i don't know, t-they could go anywhere..! " the guard lied through his teeth, trying to be strong.

" mmh... we don't take liars, " she raised her sword, resting the blade on top of the guard's head. " pathetic, truly. "

" w-wait pLEA-- " the guard wanted to scream for help, but he wouldn't get any. aphmau turned away and began to run as the scream was cut off as the man died. nothing they could do now. she ran out after the other two, back to the camp.

she had a sneaking suspicion they wouldn't be left alone...

as they got to the outskirts of the climb to the camp, they felt the could speak and rest now. the higher voiced guard was livid. he hissed, throwing his helmet off to the ground, and smashing it under his boot. his hands combed through his already messy blue hair, blue eyes glossy with vengeful tears.

" damnit..! " he stomped his foot into the snow, and sat down on a rock, hiding his face in one hand.

" dante, " garroth stepped forward, putting his hand on the other's shoulder. " i know you're mad, but you need to breathe. just calm down. "

" you expect me to be calm?! " dante got up, slapping garroth's hand off of him. " one of our men just died because of that girl's plan! how am i supposed to be _calm_ about that?! "

" you can't be, normally, but you have to try this time. there was nothing we could've done. it was either one of our men would die, or we would all be captured. either way, bad things were going to happen to us. namely, death. and there was nothing else we could've done, as i said. so stop being mad at fate. " 

dante still had tears in his eyes, and they begun to roll off his face and freeze into the snow. " ...tch... " he pushed passed garroth, rubbing tears off his eyes as he walked ahead. he spared aphmau a glare before heading up, and taking refuge in one of the tents.

garroth sighed, walking over to aphmau. " i apologize for him. he's always had a bit of a temper. tantrums like this aren't uncommon. "

" i'll get used to it, " aphmau tapped her foot, and shrugged. " so what's our plan? "

" i'm going to call a meeting right this instant, " garroth nodded, and began to walk off. " we're leaving. "

" wh- i'm sorry, _leaving_? "

" yes, you heard me correctly. "

aphmau was so confused. just like that, they were packing up their things and leaving..? it was way too quick for now. " but... but garroth, what if they followed us here, and we bring them somewhere else? "

" we know the difference, aphmau, don't panic, " garroth looked back at her, blank in his eyes. a serious look came to them as he raised his voice and turned back to the camp. " citizens of phoenix drop! may i have your attention please? "

heads began to peak out of the tents, all confused as can be. 

garroth waited until it seemed like everyone was listening. " we have payed a visit to phoenix drop once again, and... we regret to inform you all that we found shadow knights within our city. one of them has taken one of our men. whether they are dead or alive, we are not sure, but they are no longer one of our guards. and from this incident, i have made the decision that we need to move. pack what you can carry on your backs. forget the tents, forget it all. we will be leaving very soon, be ready when i call you all. "

everyone seemed confused, but they couldn't turn down an order from their head guard. he was the closest they had to a lord. aphmau hadn't seen or head of a lord since she came to this town, so it was made obvious they didn't have one. every command given by the head guard anyone followed as if it was their livelihood. really, it truly was. this was all they had...

" aphmau. " aphmau came out of her thoughts at the mention of her name. garroth had come back to her. " you didn't bring anything that you haven't left, so you may just come with me. we need to leave as quickly as possible. this area is dangerous now. "

" we're leaving just this quickly... " aphmau still didn't agree to turning tail so fast. " this just happened, and we're fleeing immediately.... something about this feels off to me. "

" it may, but it'll be fine, " garroth waved his hands, and his eyes seemed to smile at her. " but this would be for the best. if we stay here too much longer, eventually they'll come to this camp. it isn't too terribly far from the old village, so for now, we have to go. "

" right, yes... this place is compromised. "

" now you see. "

really, she didn't, but she didn't want to continue this conversation much longer. there as no reason to convince him anyways; he didn't seem like the kind of person to be swayed by someone like her. why even bother?

she waited, tapping her hand against the handle on her sword, it clinked in her belt, the blade hitting against the armor on her legs and feet, she watched it collide each time. it was something to do while she waited. 

once it seemed like everyone was there, garroth made the call. " we're leaving now! follow along with us; we will find settlement elsewhere! let us go! "

the citizens made no move to oppose what he had just said. they followed all of the guards as they began to lead everyone off. aphmau had no choice but to follow with them. truly, at the moment, she felt like a prisoner, but there was nothing she could do about that right now. she wasn't going to run; she knew what she wanted to tell garroth in the tent. she was sticking to it.

aphmau goes to garroth to talk to him, after he made it obvious he was just in the heat of the moment right now. " where are we even going? did you think this through _at all_? "

garroth seemed annoyed with her question, but fought back a glare. " i don't know. just... not here. "

" you don't even know where we're going... how are we supposed to settle in some place we don't even know? "

" we'll know when we find somewhere is all i can really say right now. it doesn't matter as long as it's some place we can rest.and begin to rebuild. some place near a mine, near animals, near water. that's all that we need to have a good settlement. water for food, to keep animals alive, so we ourselves can drink... see, i already planned everything out. it'll be fine. "

" so, i assume you'll be the lord of wherever that place is then? is it gonna be new phoenix drop? "

garroth almost stumbled, clearly taken off guard by the question. a few seconds passed where he said nothing. and when he said something, he didn't answer her. " let's just keep going. "

" aight, you're the boss, " aphmau shrugged, continuing to walk alongside him. she flinched as he took a step away from her as they walked. damnit, she's gone and done it again...

they walked in silence for a while. it was so tense, she could feel the air thicken around them as they walked together. she wanted to do something to break it, but she wasn't sure if she _could_ do anything.

eventually, the silence did break, but neither of them broke it. instead, it was kawaii~chan who stepped up to speak.

" garroth~san, if kawaii~chan may make a suggestion..? "

" go on, kawaii~chan, i'm listening, " he turned to her, but kept walking forward.

" ahem... kawaii~chan was just thinking... well, we have no where to go right now. we can't just set up somewhere new and think nothing will happen, or it'll be all happy and sunny. it won't be. if anything, because of all this, things are only going to get worse from here. they won't leave our people alone until they get something out of it. we need protection, and we need somewhere to live. kawaii~chan thinks we should take up refuge in meteli. "

" meteli? you think were should go to _meteli_ of all places? "

" well, it's the closest to phoenix drop currently, " kawaii~chan could hear the frustration in garroth's voice, and it was evident that it scared her, judging by the dropping of her tail and ears. but still, she didn't let it effect her. " it's somewhere for us to go. the lord is kind, and he would welcome the people of phoenix drop eagerly. he may be... unpleasant at times, but he is nice, and has a nice family. they will welcome us at any given chance. don't you think, garroth~san? "

" i don't know, kawaii~chan... " garroth sighed, putting his hand up over the mask on his face. " they may be the nearest, but they are still far. and from the war, i'm sure even lord hayden isn't that friendly right now... "

" it is an attempt we can make, " kawaii~chan was determined for this idea to work.

" if i'm allowed to pitch in... " aphmau cleared her throat as she added to the conversation. " wherever this place is, even if they don't let us in, our solution is we can set up camp nearby the city. we're away from them, so we aren't on their land, they don't disturb, we only meddle to buy and trade or sell things... if things happen, things happen. it'll happen to us, not to them. and if we're in trouble, they can offer protection. if they deny it now, they won't be later. but that doesn't mean we can't stick nearby and see what happens, right garroth? "

garroth mulled over what they were saying, letting his pace slow as he concentrated on his thoughts. " ...that doesn't sound like the worst idea. but... give me time to think it over before we make a final decision on anything. i'd like a vote from the people first. "

" take your time, garroth~san, " kawaii~chan nodded, stepping back into line. aphmau stepped back as well, giving garroth the space he needed. secretly, she was hoping it would work. she could only dream of sleeping in a real mattress again, without the numbness and pain her injuries had given her to sleep alongside... she was desperate for it.

she daydreamed for so long, she didn't register garroth was speaking until he was halfway done talking to the people.

" ...and if meteli denies us-- " he was repeating what aphmau had said. " --then we will camp outside! not on their land, we know our boundaries, but we will be nearby! should we be in trouble, they will make a beeline to help us. i can guarantee that. now! all for, raise your hand. "

subconsciously, aphmau raised her hand alongside a majority of the other people, kawaii~chan even being included.

" all opposed? "

very few people raised their hands for that. the vote was set in stone.

" it has been decided via these votes! we will be going to meteli for now, and there we shall see what will happen! "

most of the people cheered at the thought of living in a village again, and their spirits seemed to have been lifted much higher than they had been when they left the refugee camp. many people were excited for the chance to sleep in beds again, and return to normal village life. for the time being, things seemed so nice...

garroth came down, joining the crowd again, speaking with the guards for just a moment. one of them barked out at the crowd, and garroth began to lead them again, changing course for meteli. aphmau was really excite to join them this time around as well. she had heard of meteli in the past, it was a relatively small town so she couldn't remember anything significant about it, but she was excited to visit it for the first time.

she decided to strike up conversation with garroth while they walked. " so, are you excited for us all to get there? "

" not particularly... " garroth admitted shyly. " but, it's somewhere for my people to go. and the city is quite nice. it's not my kind of place, but it's good enough for now. we plan to take our town back anyways, so we don't have to stay for long. i would love to get allies from meteli to help us retake phoenix drop again, but they have enough problems with us as trading partners, so imagining us as battling allies is even worse! "

both of them managed to laugh at that. " oh god, the trading prices are that bad, huh? "

" it's not that the prices are bad, " garroth snickered under his breath. he wanted to finish his sentence, but it was hard to. soon, he could breathe, and he managed to continue with a grin hidden behind his helmet. " it's just that without us having a town, we don't have money to trade with. unless you count the vines as money; they come off trees, and trees make money since they're paper, so that's money right? "

aphmau laughed out loud at that, covering her stomach in her arms. " oh you all must be billionaires; the houses in that town weren't even recognizable because they were so covered! "

" right? " garroth chuckled, and shook his head. " ah, that's ridiculous... _this_ is ridiculous. thank you for sharing the laugh, aphmau. "

" oh, don't thank me. this was a nice moment among all the madness. i'd like to have more like this in the future. "

" well... we may be able to have more after this all blows over. just hold on, and we'll get there. "

" i'll hold on as tightly as i can, but i think the vines are wilting. "

" hah! good one. "


	6. Never Close Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meteli isn't all that bad.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Same Old War by Our Last Night

as they approached the gates, aphmau felt her nerves skyrocket again. this was so different from how she felt when she came to phoenix drop. that village was abandoned; she was excited about its abandonment. that meant no people, and no distractions. she was free to do and steal whatever she wanted. now, she was going somewhere with a population.

once they came to the gates, they were stopped by the guards. " speak your business. "

garroth stepped forward for the group. " garroth ro'meave of phoenix drop. i am the head guard. my people and i would like a temporary settlement, and i myself would like to speak with lord hayden. "

the guards glanced between themselves, debating what they should do. finally, one disappeared behind the wall, and the gates creaked as they pulled open for them. the guards did not stop anyone as they came inside.

garroth turned to aphmau. " you're coming along with me as well, are you not? "

" i don't think i have a choice in the matter anymore... " aphmau mumbled as she stepped forward. " you probably still don't trust me to go off on my own, so why should i leave your side? "

garroth said nothing in response to her, but he did seem affected by it. he turned away, walking down the streets of the village, keeping his eyes out aphmau glanced around the town herself. it wasn't very big, with low walls, unlike phoenix drop, but it seemed well protected and cared for. it was a very pretty place, even while it was dull in color. it was still vibrant in people. aphmau noticed a kitchenette, a tailor, a library, a blacksmith shop... so many things in meteli were different than what remained in phoenix drop.

garroth made her pause as they came in front of a house. he headed up the stairs onto the platform, seeing a sign on the door. he leaned in to read it and groaned as he spun around, heading back down.

" he's not here, we gotta look elsewhere. he can't be gone; it's not smart of a lord to just up and disappear unless someone's taken them. and i know that isn't the case because meteli guards are drama queens and they gossip about whatever they can get their hands on... "

" is it just me ooor... does it seem like you're just directing that description specifically towards _one_ of the guards..? "

" shut it. " 

aphmau listened to that command without question. maybe that was a sensitive topic and she never knew. chances were it was, so she wanted to be silent if she was going to get any better with conversation. she didn't need to keep upsetting people for stupid reasons, now, did she..?

the two stayed quiet as garroth began to walk off further down the road. he was searching for this lord as though his life depended on it. they asked around every person they could manage to come across, and eventually they did discover the lord, out and about with one of his guards, a smaller man with dark skin, and bright orange hair to contrast it.

" ugh... " garroth seemed to groan seeing the other guard there.. maybe that's who aphmau was suspecting earlier... " don't say anything about that guard, let's get this over with. "

" aight... " aphmau had no room to question. she was still a stranger to everyone she'd be meeting right now. it’s not like that was going to change all that quickly

garroth took a moment to himself, gathering up his thoughts. it seemed like he wanted to tighten his helmet further, and totally hide his eyes and expressions in general. he beckoned aphmau with one hand, and headed straight towards the lord.

the lord saw him coming, and smiled. “ ah, it seems i’ve got visitors. which one are you? “

the guard turned to look at who had walked over. emerald eyes glanced to aphmau, and a smile came to his face. he glanced to garroth, and the smile seemed to widen, only turning into a smirk. “ i think i know which one it is. ”

“ quiet, you. we’re here for business, not games. “ garroth didn’t look to the guard, instead keeping his eyes on the lord. “ garroth ro’meave, sir. of phoenix drop. “

“ the head guard has come to visit me… “ the lord pushed his hair behind his ear, and his other hand ran under his chin. “ must be something serious. ”

“ what happened this time, did the shaman lose a few of his chickens? ” the guard laughed under his breath, bringing his sword and shield up to cover his mouth. “ we’re not helping you on a wild goose chase. or, well, chicken chase… hey, that’s alliteration! school taught me something! ”

the lord laughed along with the guard, and covered his mouth to stifle it. “ ah, it was a good idea to bring you out here, kid. you’re a card... “

“ may we please be serious, sir? “ garroth was clearly annoyed with this. no wonder he wasn’t excited. “ as i said, this is business, not fun and games. ”

“ yes yes, i apologize, “ the lord waved his hand, trying to calm himself down. “ i can’t help myself bringing my son out sometimes. “

“ i’m aware… “ while aphmau couldn’t see it, garroth’s head didn’t move like his eyes did, glaring at the guard. the other man glared back, but still kept a smirk on his face.

“ convenient i’m always here when you wanna talk to dad, huh? ” the guard took a step forward, and what seemed like a growl came from garroth. aphmau was starting to feel uncomfortable again. 

“ can we get on with it? “ she couldn’t stand back this time, she had to speak up. “ i’ve been forced to stand so long my legs are hurting. ”

“ may i ask who this is first? “ the lord tapped the guard’s shoulder, making him stand back, and he looked to aphmau.

“ ah, yes, “ garroth looked at aphmau with a smile. " this is aphmau. she's one of our refugees. she joined us not too long ago. "

" ah, i see! " the lord nodded his head, and extended his hand to aphmau. " lord hayden. simply calling me hayden is fine. "

hesitantly, aphmau took his hand and shook it. " it's nice meeting you sir. your village is very pretty. "

" thank you, " hayden nodded his head. " i work hard for this place. "

" i can tell… "

" so, now then… garroth! i'm so sorry for drawing this on longer than necessary… would you like to go somewhere else to chat? "

" not very far… " garroth shook his head. " i do want to speak in private, but i don't want to go far from this girl. and i can't imagine you want to leave your 'guard' alone. "

" it will be fine, " hayden waved his hand. " we can just go around here-- " he motioned his head over by a building. " --and talk. he can stay with her to make sure she doesn't go anywhere. "

" not like i mind that at all, " the guard seemed to purr as he went over to aphmau, sliding his arm around her. 

in response, aphmau gripped tightly onto his wrist, bending his arm behind his back. " paws off, lover boy. "

" o-okay okay, let go..! " he was very quick to beg to be released. she granted his wish, and took a step away from him. he shook out his arm, trying to stop the pain, and he looked at her, nervousness in his eyes.

" you need to stop doing that… " hayden rolled his eyes. " he's alright, he just… has a habit of flirting. "

" so i can tell… " aphmau glanced to the guard with a raised eyebrow.

" anyways, we will be back. don't move. " garroth cast a glare at aphmau before walking behind the building with hayden, leaving the two alone.

at first, there was awkward silence between the two. after that, aphmau wasn't sure what she wanted to say, or what she could say. she just felt… weird.

but luckily for her, she didn't have to speak up. " after that… i think proper introductions are needed. as an apology, you know. "

" right, " aphmau looked to the guard, trying to smile the best she could.

he slid his sword in his belt, and put his shield behind his back. he extended his right arm to the side, and his left bent over his stomach as he bowed. " laurance zvahl, head guard of meteli,  _ and  _ the lord's son. "

" ah, you're a head guard too. that explains a bit more of the animosity between you and garroth. "

" yeah… " laurance let a nervous chuckle pass him as he stood up straight, one hand sliding to the back of his neck, gently rubbing it. he appeared nervous, and now he wouldn't make eye contact with aphmau. " you can put it like that. we just… have a bit of history. and it refused to leave us alone, so things are, uh… how do i put this nicely… they're a little messy. "

" ah… i-i won't pressure you to say more. this sounds like a thing between just you. haven't you guys tried talking about it? "

"  _ i've  _ tried talking about it. garroth is just… stubborn, i guess, is the word for it. he refuses to listen to anyone that isn't himself. " laurance's hand fell to his side, and balled into a fist, making him appear frustrated.

aphmau wasn't sure what she could say to that, until she remembered what garroth said earlier. " ...he said something to me before we both came here. he told me not to pay you much mind, and when we were looking for lord hayden, he said that if lord hayden was missing, most of the guards here wouldn't be quiet about it… he said they were drama queens. "

" oh, yeah, he was talking about me, " a bit of irritation itched its way into laurance's voice, and he just rolled his eyes. " he likes to say  _ i'm  _ the drama queen, and my whole world is just petty gossip because i'm bored. " 

" boy, the sarcasm is strong with this one… " aphmau chuckled to herself.

" yeah, that's the point, " laurance managed to laugh. " anyways… enough about our 'drama.' why are you with someone like that anyways? "

" it's nothing important, really, " aphmau rubbed her arm, remembering the tear in her sleeve. " he brought me to their camp after finding me in their abandoned village. i got injured, and was basically left to die… and some of the guards showed up just in time to get me. "

" well, that explains the holes in your shirt. " he motioned to the tear on her shirt, the one she was trying to cover now with her hand. " they aren't cosmetic, i know that for a fact now. "

" i don't know why people like holes in their outfits anyways… " aphmau grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

" eh, some people dig rips and tears. anything that shows skin, really. personally? i'd rather have a person with built up muscle, and some strong armor. and it doesn't matter if they've got rocks for brains and look hot as hell, or they've got nothing  _ but  _ brains and average looks. if there's no rips and tears and they know how to woo me, that's fine for me. "

" hate to agree with you there! " aphmau laughed. " i mean, hot people are nice, but most of em are assholes. ...and some of em do stuff like you do. "

" we can shut up about that now, " laurance's face flushed, but it was difficult to tell against his dark skin. " it's in the past. let's act like i… didn't try to hit on you at first sight. "

" yeah, agreed. i mean, at least you weren't checking me out. "

" have other people been checking you out? "

" i've only been talking to garroth, some cat girl, and two other guards. and not including you and lord hayden, that's literally it. if anyone's been checking me out, i don't know them. "

" that's fair… oh! you've been talking with kawaii~chan? "

" you know her? "

" she provides a lot for meteli. we aren't really allies, but kawaii~chan is a good girl. she offers us baking supplies, different variations of potions… she always seems to be there for us, even if she's only one person. lord hayden really enjoys her visits. honestly, with how often she comes to meteli, she basically lives here. "

" i wouldn't be surprised if that were true, really… she said she had a cafe set up in their old village though, so she probably wants to get back to that… "

laurance shrugged, and shook his head. " if she wants that back, she's gonna have to take it back, or build elsewhere. can't survive in a village that no one comes to anymore. "

" wonder what they're gonna do about it, " aphmau tapped her foot, using this as a chance to look around a bit more.

" who knows… whatever caused it, they're gonna be after it. and without a lord, that's going to be hard. "

" so there really is no lord..? " she glanced back to laurance with wide eyes. she hadn't seen anyone resembling a lord when she was at the camp, and the others never mentioned anything about one.

" from what i know, yea, " laurance looked away from her, instead opting to look at the ground. " there was a girl that lived in their village that would send letters to dad through kawaii~chan, or from a bird messenger. the last thing he got from her said that they were expecting a fight in their village, and with its size, she didn't think it was going to make it. the bird she sent with the message didn't leave dad's side after it came, so he took it as a sign that the girl had died, along with the rest of the town. though… with garroth showing up here, that doesn't seem to be the case. and that village you said was abandoned… it's phoenix drop, right? "

" that's what kawaii~chan and garroth have both been telling me, " aphmau nodded her head, barely seeming affected by it.

" jeez… i know what that means, " laurance sighed, leaning against the wall of the building, covering half of his face with his hand. " things must've gotten bad. and someone jumped you there? that's off... "

" i've been thinking about that, and it really is weird... " she poked her finger through the tear in the sweater over her stomach, drawing her fingertip through, and tracing where the scar would've been. she knew very well the reason why it had been there, but…

laurance had the worst thoughts here. " you think it could've been someone they sent after the attack? i wouldn't put it past them to make sure no people remained in their way. "

" maybe, " aphmau lifted her head to look at him again. " but i can't bring up something like that. things are already bad enough as is, i don't need to make them worse… really, i don't think i should be talking to you about this at all. "

" eh, no one would care anyways. we already knew about the war, we expected worse. "

" you did? "

" yeah, they were attacked by o'khasis weren't they? 

" how did you..? "

laurance actually laughed at her question. " honey, don't you know? o'khasis is _the_ biggest city in ru'aun. if they wage war on someone, their town is going to be wiped out, and everyone else in the region is going to know about it, if someone tells them or not. there is nothing more to it than that. and if the people don't die in it, they won't stop until they do. that's just how things go now with the new ruler. "

" this… 'new ruler' isn't fueling your dislike of garroth, is it? " aphmau felt her voice quiet a tad with worry.

" what, because he's a ro'meave? honey, i'm petty, but not that petty, " laurance rolled his eyes, waving both hands in front of him, soon letting them rest on his sides. " garroth is a good person, we just have scuffles. i don't think that me being mad at him for sharing a family name is fair to him, or to anyone else related to him. one bad egg can't spoil the whole dozen. maybe it'll smother the others from the smell, but it won't make em rot, y'know what i mean? "

" yeah, i guess… " aphmau felt her smile coming back. " you really are a bit of a gossiper. "

" ehh... " a smile came to his face as well. " maybe garroth isn't  _ totally  _ wrong about me. i'm not a drama queen, though. "

" aren't you? "

" ...well, i can't admit that, you might tell him! "

" but you just did. "

" oh hush, miss tattletale. "

" sorry sir, you're not my lord. "

" you're awful… " he paused, and his expression softened before he spoke again. " i like that about you. "

" yeah, i get that a lot, " aphmau pushed her hair behind her ear, and hummed softly. " you're not too bad yourself. "

" you wanna see how bad i can get? "

" don't, we might attract unwanted attention. "

" eh, true… don't wanna risk 'pretty boy' finding out. "

" aw, who's being hit on now? "

" don't you even  _ think  _ about that, young lady. " despite how laurance reacted, managing to keep his voice steady, it was easy to see the blush on his face now.

" seems like  _ you  _ are... " she brought her own smirk to her face, straightening up and putting her fists on her hips. " what, are you keeping up the fight just so he won't know you like him? "

" even if that were true, " laurance turned away, and crossed his arms. " he wouldn't like me anyways. i think he has a  _ genuine  _ hatred for me, even if i'm just 'messing with him,' quote on quote. "

" okay, okay, don't get all serious on me mister, " she walked over, patting his back. " let's change topics. hey, what's wrong with your hand? "

" hm? "

laurance's blush deepened as he uncrossed his arms, and felt aphmau take his hand.

" these, " she traced a circle around a few pale spots of skin on his fingertips that poked through the gloves he had on. she looked up at him, noticing a space of skin poking out from his armor that was almost totally pale. " they're on your neck too. "

" oh, that, " he took his hand back, looking at the marks himself, and rubbing his neck. " yeah, they're just… some sort of skin condition, we aren't really sure. it doesn't hurt me or anything, but our town doctor says it'll make me a bit more sensitive to light and stuff. they can't fix it, but it's not life threatening. at this point, i just think it looks pretty… lots of people talk shit about it, but i don't mind. "

" i don't think it looks that bad, really, " aphmau's smile shined through again. " you're right saying it looks pretty. it fits you. "

laurance's face flushed again, and he chuckled lightly, just shaking his head. " quit it you're making me blush. "

" what's so bad about that? " aphmau smirked, and cocked her head.

" i have a reputation, now stop before people think somethin's goin on, " he rolled his eyes and pushed her back gently

she raised her hands defensively and shrugged, managing a giggle. " alright, alright! let's just wait for the dorks to come back… "

" hey, you can't say that. "

" well i just did. "

" you really are the worst… "

" i try to be. i have a reputation too y'know. "

" and that reputation is? "

" being bitchy, annoying, and gossiping. "

" ...we're going to get along then. "


	7. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting tense...  
> \---  
> First POV switch of the season! POV switched to Laurance for this chapter.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Scarborough Fair/Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel

after some time had passed, hayden and garroth returned, both seeming more frustrated than when they had left. it was easier to tell on hayden more than garroth, considering his face was uncovered. he still kept a smile, but his stature was now… off.

" well, we've been discussing for a short while, as you noticed, " hayden still kept his gentle tone as he talked. " and i've agreed to allow the people of phoenix drop a temporary settlement in meteli. "

" you're kidding… " laurance's face fell, and instead a look of fear replaced it. " you know why they're homeless right now, don't you? "

" yes, and i've decided we are going to help them in the war as their allies. "

" excuse me?! dad i-- "

" it'll be alright. nothing's going to happen to us, having you as our head guard of course, " hayden flashed a soft smile, genuine now. " now go on, you have training to get to. "

" but-- "

" that was an order, laurance. "

laurance flinched hearing hayden say his name like that. very rarely did he ever call laurance by name when it wasn't introducing him to someone else. he got so used to being called son it was weird. but, in response to hayden, laurance just nodded, feeling his muscles tense as he spun around, heading off toward the guard tower.

today just got a whole lot more stressful… the only good thing about today so far was going out with dad, and getting to talk to that girl… aphmau was her name? he'll have to keep that in mind for later.

as he approached the guard tower, he noticed a bright orange haired girl sitting on the rails by the small staircase leading to the door. she had a small book, and was drawing in it with a quill. her head lifted as he approached, and she waved.

" hi laury!~ " she sang out, bringing one leg over the railing and pressing her thighs together to hold herself in place.

" hi cadenza… " he almost mumbled that as he stepped up the stairs.

" you seem stressed, lil bro. what's up? c'mon, talk to caddy. " she shut her book with the quill inside, and nudged him on the shoulder.

" it's just… somethin dad's doin, " he shrugged, and shook his head. " you'll hear about it eventually. i'm sure he's gonna talk about it so the townspeople are aware. "

" aaahh, i see… " cadenza nodded her head and leaned back on the wall. " so, what're you doin here? "

" he sent me to start training the guards. "

" fooor..? "

" i told you, he's gonna talk about it himself, you'll find out then. "

" oh fiiine.. you're no fun. " she pouted at him, and he just rolled his eyes.

" anywho… what're  _ you  _ doing here? aren't you supposed to be at home? "

" oh! well, i was working on some designs for the guard armor since dad put me in charge of the clothes shop near the gates… i wanted to show these to you for opinions before i showed em to dad! "

of course she did… " w-well, i'd love to look at them, cadenza, but like i said, i'm busy. i can look at them later though, i can't delay this any longer than i have to. "

" can you let me come in to watch you train this time? " cadenza's eyes sparkled at the thought.

" cadenza, i-- "

" pleeeeease? " she began to use her puppy eyes on him. damn her, they always worked.

he sighed, feeling defeat wash over him. " okay, fine... "

" yeesss!! " cadenza hopped off the railing, and jumped around happily.

" buuut, " laurance grabbed her on the shoulder to make her calm down, and stop bouncing. " if you get in my way, i'm gonna kick you out first thing. are you gonna keep your promise this time? "

" yeah, i promise! " cadenza nodded her head feverishly, clearly showing how much she wanted this. " pinky promise! " she held her hand up, and extended her pinky.   
" tch, you're so childish… " laurance rolled his eyes, lifting up his hand and extending his pinky, letting theirs hook together for a moment.

" yeah, that's the fun part of growing up; your child side never leaves however much you try to make it. and… sometimes it's really cute! "

" yeah, for you maybe, " he pulled his hand back and laughed. " now c'mon, we gotta be serious about this, cadenza. this is important business. "

" sooo… " cadenza followed after laurance as he opened the door, moving out of the way and holding it for her so she could head inside. " are you gonna tell your guards what's goin on? "

" you were just using this as an excuse to hear about why i'm here, weren't you? " laurance figured as much, but of course, cadenza duped him again. he should've known better…

" maaaaybe? " cadenza tapped her heel on the ground, and looked back at laurance. " i mean, it wasn't the plan first, but your guards can't train if they don't know what they're training for, yknow. "

" yeah yeah… " laurance rolled his eyes. he shut the door and glanced around the room. most of the guards were out on patrol right now, so only a few were still inside. most were sharpening their weapons, or writing in books. one stood by himself against the wall with crossed arms, idly tapping the blade of his sword against his belt.

" gale, " laurance spoke up as he approached the other.

gale lifted his head, looking up at laurance, and straightening his back against the wall. " yes sir? "

" any news on where the other guards are now? it seems there's a lot less people in here than there should be... "

" most of them are outside the city right now. i've heard some are dealing with new settlers in the center. "

" yeah yeah, the refugees i bet… " laurance rolled his eyes. this was getting annoying. " okay, well, i want you to go and gather everyone up. hayden has sent me here on serious business, so we need to start training now. try to be quick if you can, alright? "

gale nodded his head, folding his arms behind his back for a minute. " i'll be back soon, sir. " he glanced to the door, then headed for it, pushing through, and shutting it on his way out.

" so now all we have to do is wait… " laurance took his spot against the wall, and leaned against it.

" man, sounds like being a guard is boring, " cadenza hummed, looking around absentmindedly, and wandering the tower. " it'd be cool to be able to fight and stuff, and train with people who are just about the same skill as you… but then you gotta have patience, and you gotta be slow for everyone else to catch up, and gotta listen to people, and blah blah… it's sooo boring. " she flopped down in a chair against the wall, crossing one of her legs over her opposite knee, and resting her elbow against the arm of the chair, her head leaning against the back of her hand to hold it up.

laurance narrowed his eyes on her. " you sound like you were considering becoming one. that's something i never thought i'd hear from you. "

" well, there's more about me that you don't know… with all your 'work' and stuff, i've been learning a bunch of new stuff, and trying new things. to impress dad. "

" oh, that makes sense, you're papa's girl, aren't cha? "

" shut up, laurance! " cadenza whined, sitting back up properly in the chair, and turning her head away as blush strung across it. "

" seems like i was right… " laurance hummed proudly.

" boy, i'm gonna hurt you! " cadenza suddenly got up from her chair, and ran to him. as if by reflex, laurance reached behind his back, pulling his shield out, and covering himself. he pushed back on it as cadenza came near, pushing her back on the floor. rather than being hurt, she was more shocked. laurance looked down at her, and a smirk came to his face.

" see… that's one of the things you don't do if you wanna be a guard. " he drew his sword, pointing it down at her neck, keeping her from getting up. " you don't just rush someone. unless you got a clear strategy having to do with that, this exact thing is gonna happen, and they wouldn't be monologuing like i am now. "

cadenza huffed, pushing hair out of her face and scooting back, smacking the sword away with the back of her wrist and getting to her feet. laurance slid the shield and sword into their places on his back, and put his hands on his hips, still keeping that stupid smirk.

" i wasn't being all that serious about it... " cadenza crossed her arms over her chest, and pouted. 

" well, i'm just telling you! " laurance shrugged, and put his hands behind the back of his head, leaning his head against them, and chuckling softly the whole time. " you said you were considering being a guard, you may as well start learning before you even think to try out! "

" try out..? " cadenza raised an eyebrow. " you gotta try out to be a guard? "

" yeah, you gotta show you're capable of fighting before we're gonna take you. that's why we've got guard schools here. most other towns will let you join the guard, and train you before they let you go into battle, but because of places like scaleswind and o'khasis, hayden doesn't go that way. people need to be competent  _ before  _ they can become one of us. and it's not a matter of if you're good or not, it's a matter of if you have enough common sense to land a few hits and keep yourself out of dodge. so just keep that in mind, m'kay hun? "

cadenza mulled over his words for a second, rolling her head to pop out a few kinks in her neck from the collision with the floor. " yeah yeah… maybe i'll just have to sign up after all, huh? "

" you can try, but there's no guarantee your tryouts are gonna go all that well without guard school… "

" ah, who needs guard school? i've got my training right here! " cadenza threw her arms around laurance, bringing him in close. she moved so one arm stayed locked around his neck, and the other hand raised up to mess with his hair.

" aCK- cadenza cut it out!! " he pulled on her arm and shook his head, trying to get free from her grip. eventually, she did let go of him, and he huffed in annoyance, combing his hands through his hair and trying to fix it.

" haha, sorry lil bro! " she reached into the bag that was attached to her side and pulled out a brush. " cmere, silly. you aren't gonna fix it like that. "

he didn't complain, just turned around and crossed his arms, letting cadenza come over, combing her hands through his hair as she started to brush it. 

" just be quick with this, okay..? " he let his voice become soft again.

" yeah yeah, your reputation needs to be kept in check… i know, silly goose. "

they let things fall to a comfortable silence. laurance would never admit it, but he really did like having his hair done. having it dyed was fun first, and letting cadenza brush it was his favourite part. it became so soft, and smooth… it was always so pretty, just like hers was. all the time. he would say he was jealous, but he knew she'd help him look pretty too…

and it was always so nice to share these little moments with her… it brought a smile to his face every time. this time was no different.

today was turning around a little. that was another good thing.

his back felt cold again as cadenza pulled away, slipping the brush back in her bag. " there we go, all silky smooth again! "

he pulled a few strands of hair over his shoulder, running his hands through and along them. " thanks cadenza… it really is nice now. "

" i think you should brush your hair more often. it didn't have many tangles, but it had a few. "

" man, i wonder why considering you just ruffled it like chicken feathers... "

" hey, it didn't feel tangled when i was messing with it, so that was your own doing! "

" oh, you sassy little-- "

their playtime was cut short as the door opened, and gale re-entered the room.

" sir, i've found the rest of the guards. they're on their way. some are here now, i hope you don't mind me bringing the ones that would come. "

" i don't mind at all, let em in, " laurance tried to be serious again, but he smiled at cadenza. she smiled back at him. they understood it well enough.

gale moved out of the doorway, and leaned on the wall next to laurance, watching as other guards began to pool inside the tower. most went back to their posts immediately, dusting themselves off and replacing their weapons with new ones; the fake ones that they normally used for training inside the tower. they grabbed shields as well, their own this time. most guards went without shields anyways, but on the battlefield, they needed to be with them at all times.

laurance tapped his foot, trying his best to be patient. gale glanced over to laurance, speaking just loud enough for the guards to hear; the room was small so luckily they all could, as most were silent. " what do you want them to do? "

" they can head outside to the range, and wait in the lineup there, " laurance looked to gale, and then stared at a space on the wall. " i'll be there when the last have come in. " the other guards took up the order quickly, and began to head out in line together, talking amongst themselves.

" and what about.. her? " gale motioned to cadenza.

laurance glanced to cadenza, keeping a blank expression, but he smiled at her, and then let his face fall again as he looked to gale. " she's just viewing us for the day. she wants to learn to fight as well. she'll just be here for today. so make sure that everyone behaves, alright? "

" i'll do my best, but there's no guarantee, " gale chuckled.

" that's good enough for me! but, you do know that i'm including you in that bundle, right? "

" yes yes, i'm well aware. but you shouldn't worry about me, sir. i'm one of the more tame ones in the bunch. "

" i'm going to worry, because you're starting to be affected by me and the other guards… "

" now, why would i let that happen? "

" because you're only smart in fighting? "

" ...oh shut up… "

gale punched laurance in the shoulder, and he just laughed, despite the slight stinging it left there. " ow, okay, jeez. just go with the other guards, alright? "

" yes yes, sorry sir, " gale laughed along with him, heading to the opposite wall from him, grabbing a sword and shield off the wall, and walking out of the building, leaving Laurance alone with Cadenza again.

" sooo you two… "

" shut  _ up  _ cadenza. "

" i'm just saying! i'm not saying anythin' is goin on! just… you guys seem to be super good friends. i didn't think you'd ever befriend any of your guards. "

" gale is nice. he can be stubborn, but he's… okay. "

" okay? what's that supposed to mean? "

" uhh… he's a butt. haha. "

" oh god you're so immature sometimes! "

" isn't that why you love me? "

" yes, but still! let me complain about it! "

" have fun with that, caddy. "

" you're an ass… "

" hey, why are you turning this around on me now? "

" cause ya are! "

" sometimes, but… yknow. "

cadenza just rolled her eyes, falling quiet as more guards walked in the tower. they each said a quick hello to laurance before they headed out, and laurance followed them.

" isn't there more? " cadenza cocked her head to one side, and went after them.

" this is the last bunch. if there are more i don't know about, they'll know where to go for training. this is no different from what we usually do. "

" ooh… you use the same area for  _ everything _ ? "

" pretty much… there's no real reason for us to change anything around. things are just gonna get a bit more… intense. "

" spicy~ "

" cadenza, stop… i'm serious.  _ we  _ need to be serious here. "

" okay okay sowwy… i'll try to be serious this time! "

" you better. remember what i said earlier! "

" i don't wanna get kicked ooout..! "

" then listen to me, and you'll be fine. "

…

cadenza was kicked out just a few minutes later.


	8. A Stitch in Time Saves 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau is missing something.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Art of the Dress from MLP:FiM

the other day, aphmau had managed to find a house in the town for rent. she wasn't going to be staying for long so she may as well enjoy the time she got there… when she woke up, it was dark in her house. she could barely see, just barely being able to see the bed blankets through little slivers of light in the blinds.

she was very lucky this house wasn't that big. she didn't have to move very far to pull the blind up, and let light flood the room, the only light she needed in the house.

she sat up on the edge of her bed and yawned, stretching her arms behind her back. she was so glad she'd be able to stretch properly now, without pain. she glanced down as she lowered her arms, looking at the cuts in her sleeve and stomach. she'd need to get those taken care of…

she got up, and pulled out the drawer by her bed. she'd left the items from her backpack in there. she pulled out the satchel of money she had gotten, and sorted through it. this should be enough to get this fixed, right?

should be…

she remembered seeing a tailor when she was exploring. she could go straight there.

she headed outside, taking a quick glance around at her scenery. not very many people were out and about today, but it didn't seem like there were many people in the town lately either. it was… really weird, she thought she'd see even more people because of the refugees coming here. but maybe they were inside their houses and she didn't know. she didn't have a plan to find out, and frankly she didn't care either way. maybe things would be peaceful today.

she tied the satchel to her belt, and headed down the street, to the edge of the path. it didn't take very long to walk, as it wasn't that far from the house she'd picked. 

when she approached, the story seemed relatively empty, other than a girl inside behind the counter. she'd braided her hair and brought it over her shoulder, and she was working on sewing something on the counter. it seemed like a cloth made just for the counter, bright teal to contrast the black painted surface of the countertop. it rested diagonally, all the pointed corners going off the sides of the counter, and still exposing some of the top. once aphmau walked in, a bell went off above the door, and the girl's head lifted.

" hellooo!~ " she sang out, setting the sewing needles down and sitting up proper behind the counter. she scooted over in the chair, resting her arms on the countertop. " i've never seen you around before… i'm cadenza. whatcha need? "

" aphmau, " she smiled as she walked up to the counter. " i've just got a couple holes in my shirt i want patched up… these ones. " she motioned to the holes in her sweater.

" mmm… those are pretty easy to fix, " cadenza nodded her head and smiled. " just go ahead and slip it off, and i'll get it done quickly! "

" mind lookin' away if i'm gonna? " cadenza led aphmau behind the counter, and into the backroom.

" we're both girls, babes, you can take it off, i don't care! "

" cadenza… "

" okay okay, i'll turn away for you, princess! " cadenza whined, putting her hands on her hips and spinning around. " tell me when, hun! "

" thanks… " aphmau sighed, looking down at the sweater. she hesitated before sliding off the armor holding down her sweater. she already felt weird without it on, but it did feel a bit better for her to be free like this. she shook her head, not trying to focus on that. she slid her sweater over her head; it barely messed up her hair. it slid down her back easy, and rested against her back. it felt a bit weird, but she got used to it relatively quickly. she'd have to for the next few minutes. she slid back on her over armor, and pulled her glove back, letting it slap against her wrist. she fastened her breastplate back on, and turned back to face cadenza.

" you're okay, hun, turn around, " aphmau snapped her fingers, putting her sweater over her shoulders.

cadenza spun around with a flourish. " oooh! you should wear things like this more often, i'm sure guys _and_ girls would be all over you~ "

" i'm sure one of them already is… " aphmau huffed, feeling her face heat up.

" oooh? are they here? " cadenza cocked her head, and held her hand out to aphmau.

aphmau slid the sweater off her shoulder into cadenza's hand. " they're in town, yea... "

" tell me the deets, baby girl! " cadenza sang as she unfolded the sweater, glancing over the holes on the shirt. they extended on the torso a tad from when aphmau took it off, but it was fixable. " i won't tell nobody... "

" just one of the guards, " aphmau rolled her shoulders and shrugged. " some orange haired dude. "

" orange hair ya say? " cadenza walked to a desk by the window and sat down, pulling over a few rolls of thread and looking over each of the colors. purple white, black, gray, blue… " what was his name? "

" laurance. he was out with the lord once we came here. "

" awww, my bro has a crush on you? that's so cute! " cadenza giggled.

" t-that's your brother? " aphmau felt her face turn red again. " w-well, i guess that was obvious, you guys do look pretty alike... "

" other than the skin colour, yeah, " cadenza shrugged. " but we aren't actually siblings. i'll let you learn about that as ya go on, though. it ain't my business. "

" i'll keep that in mind… " aphmau narrowed her eyes. she watched cadenza pick up the black thread, gently putting it through the end of the needle. she made sure it was all the way through, before she really began working. she was very careful and precise, sliding it through the fabric, drawing lines across the open tear. 

" you're very good at your job, " aphmau commented, not wanting to stay in silence. she glanced around the store, seeing most of the items on mannequins around the store. " it seems you've got a lot of work here... "

" i've been working here for a while. since the lord gave me this shop here, i've been working pretty much non-stop. i got permission from him to work on new armor for the guards over time as well, though i haven't gotten to yet. when he thinks they need new armor, i can start working. i'm supposed to be talking with the blacksmith about it soon, but i haven't quite gotten to it yet. "

" so i see… of course you need a blacksmith for that. you make the designs, they make the outfits. you can't really work with cloth, unless you count the underneath part so it's not as… y'know uncomfortable."

" yeah yeah… i don't plan to make it too terribly detailed like the rest of the stuff i make. it doesn't need to be pretty, it needs to protect. and really that's all that matters when it comes to being out there. if they want pretty shield and sword designs; cool! make their own. they don't need to be cosmetic. you're fighting, not having a beauty pageant. "

" ...you don't happen to have any of those here, do you? "

" don't give me ideas, sweet pea. the lord's gonna kill me if he finds out i'm debating running one of those myself in a time like this. maybe sometime in the future when things are… less death like, but not right now. i can't suggest that… "

" i wasn't saying you had to, i'm just saying… well it could be a thought. "

" i'll keep it in mind… luckily your shirt didn't take very much to patch up, so you can put it on. "

" right… how much do you want for it? "

" eh, the tears weren't that big, so i won't charge you. buuut you can leave a tip if you want? " 

" i think i will… "

" cool! my tip jar is on the counter, drop some stuff in there. "

" mkay.. " aphmau slid her attire back off, putting her sweater on and feeling the spaces where there had once been tears. it was done so well, she couldn't even tell it had been re-threaded together. it was like she'd never been injured at all. all back to normal. she slid everything back on over it, and patted it down, being sure everything still fit right. she headed to the counter, pulling her satchel off her belt, taking out a few coins, and dumping them in the jar cadenza had been talking about. she glanced back at the girl and waved. the girl waved back at her with a smile. she smiled back before she exited, hearing the bell fade out into the shop behind her as she left.

as aphmau left, she felt a strange set of emptiness… like she'd forgotten something. she walked all the way back home, mulling over whatever she could've forgotten when they came here… she really didn't understand what it was until she walked back inside, and it was totally silent.

silent…

she gasped. " the chicks..! o-oh irene i've forgotten them..! oh i hope they're okay!! "

aphmau ran out of the house in a panic. she had to go back and get them..! hopefully nothing had happened to them! she ran away from the district, straight to the gates. they'd already closed up by now, all the refugees had gotten inside.

damnit..! what could she..?

she glanced around, hoping to find a familiar guard nearby… and yet she found no one. only the meteli guards were around. she'd have to ask one of them…

she built up her courage, and approached one of the guards. " e-excuse me, sir? "

the man turned to her, keeping his hands folded behind his back, both gripping the handle of his sword, and the handle of his shield. " yes ma'am? "

" t-this may be stupid of me to ask, but, um… " she felt embarrassed now actually asking this. " i… i have these two chicks that are my pets. i-i… i've forgotten them where i came from, and… with all that's going on right now i-i can't go back on my own to get them. if possible… i'd like to ask for an escort. i-it's okay if no one's available, i-i can… ask someone else, heh. "

" i think it'll be fine ma'am, " he seemed to smile behind his mask. " i can escort you myself. you know where they are, yes? "

" y-yes! i can take you right there. "

" then i shall be both your escort, and your guard while we are heading there. i'll tell the guards to open the gates, and we will get going immediately. "

" oh, thank you sir…! " aphmau felt sweet relief hearing that. luckily she'd be able to go get her chicks after all..! the guard turned away from her, heading up the stairs onto the wall, speaking with one of them. aphmau waited patiently until she heard him coming down the stairs again, and heard creaking as the gates opened.

the guard went by her side immediately after. " shall we go? "

" yes, i want to get this over with as fast as possible… "

" understandable; you want to find them as quickly as possible, and return to safety in the same minute. while impossible… it will be done quickly, i can assure you. "

" thank you… "

the guard nodded his head to her, and the two walked in silence out of the gate. aphmau had almost memorized the path all the way back, it was kind of weird… but they didn't have to do very much changing course, so she could recognize landmarks, or anything strange that could indicate location. and the guard knew the way back to meteli, even if they got lost, so it wouldn't be much of a problem. her one problem now though was… the awkward silence.

she had to make conversation, or she'd bore herself to death. " so… what's your name, if i may ask? "

" gale, " the guard looked at her. " might i get yours, my lady? "

" aphmau. "

" a strange name… i like it. "

" glad to know that… "

it fell to awkward silence again as they kept walking. well that's just  _ fun  _ isn't it?

" so, your chicks… " luckily, gale seemed to have another conversation topic. " what've you named them? "

" ah… i named them cutie and cobweb. "

" any story behind those? "

" well, cutie is… a really weird hatchling. i'm not quite sure what it is, and i don't even know the sex of either of them. i know that the other one is an actual chick, like a chicken, but i named it cobweb because of me finding it in the abandoned phoenix drop, and i named cutie the way i did because it's just really weird, but it's cute. "

" quite fitting for both. cobweb sticks to its original location, yes? "

" yeah, i like names to be reminders of the places they came from. i try to think hard on the names i want for pets, or people… it's gotta mean something for me to even pick it. "

" that's understandable. you like names that have meaning, no harm in that. "

" yeah, i guess not… sometimes it's difficult though, especially when it comes to people. i can't make something up because then pronunciation would be difficult, but i don't want to pick a generic name because i want that person to be unique… y'know what i mean? "

" you just want them to stand out. like i said, there's no harm in that. really, i believe you should have free liberty, and just do as you please without worrying how the outcome is going to be. the more time you have to worry over that, the less time you have to actually give the name. "

" hah, yeah, you got a point there… " aphmau chuckled softly, and shook her head. " it's kinda ridiculous when i think about it. "

gale tilted his head. " ridiculous? "

" well… yeah, wouldn't you think the same? people are always bitching over what they wanna name things, so much it becomes like… the only thing that matters. people do that for towns, or cities, or assassins may do it just cause they wanna sound cool if they're caught or they want to have a cool code name, or people want their child to be unique, or have a nice name for a pet to pamper… i guess i'm one of those people? well, not really, again i need things to have meaning before i even begin to think about them… but still, i'm not too far off from somebody like that. "

" well, i can see plenty of differences. those people only do it to stand out, you do it because it's something you like and you want to remember how you got to them. if someone close to you were missing, that would affect you a lot. say you found a stray animal or an abandoned child; you may name them after the missing person as a reminder you need to look for them. and as you said with cobweb… you go in an abandoned village, no one is there, not even an animal, until you find a pet! as a reminder of the abandoned place you found them, you name them cobweb, not because they look white or gray to match the name, but because it reminds you there is a village somewhere in the world that people don't live in anymore, where they abandoned this sweet animal… "

" yeah… wow… " aphmau brought a smile to her face. " that does make me a lot different, huh? "

" i would say so, " gale nodded his head. " ah, i can see something up ahead. is that a mountain? "

" the refugees built their camp up in the mountains. it's relatively easy to scale, i'll head up to that pink tent and get the chicks. you can wait here for me. "

" understood, ma'am. be careful. " gale folded his hands behind his back as he had before, and waited.

aphmau nodded to him, and began scaling the mountain. it really wasn't that difficult, though her size made it harder than it had to be to climb. curse being tiny..! she huffed as she finally got up to the top, and snuck into the tent. she glanced around nervously, before she found the nest with cutie and cobweb in it. the bowl beside them was empty, still shiny. maybe they finished eating recently and she came just in time… she picked up the bowl, and slid it in her bag. she could keep using it to feed them. she lifted the nest up into her arms, being careful not to wake the now sleeping chicks. she headed out of the tent, and hopped down the mountain, walking back to gale once she had finished.

" they're safe. they finished eating recently so they should be okay, " she looked down at the chicks as she approached gale. she pointed to each of them individually. " this one is cutie, and that one is cobweb. "

" cobweb seems to be growing many more feathers… it is almost entirely yellow. cutie is not growing much at all, though… that is a little concerning. "

" i-i think it just develops slower… "

" perhaps. but i would recommend taking both of them to one of our farmers. they work best with animals, they may know better than you do. just a suggestion for you to sit on as we head back. " gale spun around, and began walking back the way they came. aphmau followed after him.

" would they be able to tell me what species cutie is, also? "

" perhaps, but there's no guarantee. they don't really work with birds most of the time, so i couldn't tell you. but they seem very smart, so i wouldn't put it past them to know about birds either. "

" that's a good thing then, i don't have to go very far to get my answers. "

" indeed… "

the silence surrounding them was comfortable this time around. it didn't seem all that bad to be silent now. it didn't seem like there was anything they could talk about either; they exhausted all their conversation topics. but it was alright. even as they approached the meteli gates, and were let inside, it was alright.

" i'm very glad to have joined you today, miss aphmau. do take care of your chicks, i have work to attend to now that i have returned. "

" yes, of course, " aphmau dipped her head. " thank you for today, sir. goodbye. "

" farewell. "

aphmau smiled behind her scarf, and walked back to her house. her first plan; she had to make sure the chicks were okay. they squirmed in the rag-blanket that she had given them, but they didn't appear to be shivering. they were still warm, which was a good thing. they needed it for now.

she walked back to the house, and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. it was barely afternoon, but aphmau felt a bit tired. but she couldn't sleep now; she had priorities.

she set the nest down on her bedside table, adjusting it a little to go more around the chicks. she remembered the bowl in her bag. right… she needs to make more food for them. eventually they're just going to be eating seeds at the rate they're developing. first, get food for the chicks. second, go find a farmer to find out the species of both.

simple enough plan… she could manage it.


	9. Don't Wanna Stay the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau is putting too much work on herself, and the world is as well.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Honey Lavender by Ieuan

once aphmau felt like she had set everything up properly in the house, she decided to leave. checking on cutie and cobweb one last time, she smiled seeing the two still fast asleep in the nest. she headed out of the house. now her only plans were to find that farmer, and find more food for the chicks. she felt that the stew she had made was just enough for them, while putting the seeds in would help them get used to eating seeds later on.

she'd feed them before taking them to the farmer, if she did find them.

she made sure the door was shut behind her. she skipped down the stairs leading up onto the porch, and headed out of the housing district.

as she walked, she noticed just how thin the streets were, all leading up to the massive house that the lord's had been. she never seemed to notice just how big the house was before, if anything she just ignored it. now seeing its size, she realized just how much of the village was just made up of this house… 

it was impressive, but… seriously unnecessary with how low the walls were. invaders could just hook onto the house and climb over the walls themselves with how low they were… it was kind of dumb, at least aphmau thought so.

whatever, she's getting side tracked. she has serious business to attend to right now! she shouldn't be focusing on this town as much as she does…

though she can't help looking around it as she walks, barely focusing on her footsteps as her eyes wander. the town is quite pretty, with lights strung around each of the roofs of all the houses she comes across. how they got there and stayed lit, she'd just have to wait to find that out. _maybe it's magic…_ tch. ridiculous.

she almost walked past the food shop, but she managed to catch herself before she did so. right… she looked at the satchel of seeds on her hip, and tightened the rope that was keeping it closed. she headed inside, hearing the dinging of a bell above her head. the cook didn't seem to be busy today, just writing things down in a book on the countertop.

their head lifted as she entered, and a smile came to their face. " welcome, miss! "

" good day, " she let a smile follow their own as she walked up to the counter.

" what is it you'd like? pick anything! " they motioned behind them up to the menu.

she let her eyes slide upward and skim over each of the items. there were quite a few good things there… cakes, breads, soups, stews… she just needed stew like the one she had made before.

luckily she managed to find that exact thing. " mushroom and potato soup please. "

" wonderful choice! " the cook's smile only grew. " leave the money here, doll, i'll get to working on this right away! " they patted the countertop, and spun through the trapdoor into the kitchen.

everyone in this town was… strangely chipper. it really made aphmau feel out of place. she'd always been the introverted type, and she rarely saw people anyways. now they were _everywhere_ and she wasn't quite sure what to do about it. she reached into her bag, pulling out a few coins, setting them on the counter, and stacking them. she didn't have anything better to do… she looked closely at the coins, and began trying to line up the indents in the sides of them. 

once she felt they were stacked properly, she wasn't sure what to do… and so she disassembled the tower stack she had made and tried doing other things to keep herself occupied. she tried balancing them in a stack on her palm, and that turned out to disaster. the coins loudly clanked on the floor and she quickly scrambled to pick them up, hoping that the cook didn't hear any of that.

after that mess up, she decided not to balance them on her person anymore. what else could she do… she set them up in a line, and tried making shapes. the circle she ended up with was… not the prettiest, and it didn't even curve right. damn. she managed to make a diamond and a square. they were okay. a triangle wasn't all that hard either. a trapezoid was a bit harder. she managed to use five of the coins to make a star, and it was pretty cute. she wanted to leave it like that, but she had to be serious. curse her childish nature.

she tried making more shapes. she made a little… coin person… it looks pretty much just like the star, nevermind. she made a spider, with only six legs. huh… poor thing.

when she was done with her playing around, the cook came back out, holding a bowl of soup in their gloved hands.

" be careful, dear, it's hot! " they laughed as they set the bowl on the countertop, and took their gloves off.

" it'll be alright, i've got a full glove, " she held up her gloved hand and waved. she slid the coins over to the cook. " here you go. "

" thanks for your business, darlin! " they hummed as they scooped the coins into their hands and held them close to their chest. " have a nice day! "

" you too. "

aphmau lifted up the bowl in her gloved hand. even through the glove, she could feel how warm the soup was. she'd have to let it cool, but…

" oh! one more thing for you, if i may ask? " she remembered the farmer again. this was her chance to get some help.

" yes, dear? " they tilted their head.

" i'm… new to this place, i've never been here before on my travels. i'm looking for one of the farmers? none of them in particular if there are multiple, i just… need to find one and ask them a few questions. do you know where they are? "

" i do indeed! " they nodded their head. " just go on my left here past the tailor, and turn to the right on the street, should go towards the west wall. you'll see the crops before ya see the house, i can assure ya that! "

" thank you for your help… a-and thank you for the food as well, i very much appreciate it. goodbye now. "

" bye dear! "

aphmau waved with her free hand, and headed out the door. she'd keep a note of that… she had to go home first, but now at least she had an idea of where the farmers were. it seemed like there was only one, but maybe multiple lived together… she'd find out when she went there herself.

for now, however, she had other focus. she headed back the way she came, and went back to her house. she headed up the stairs, and pushed open the door, peeking around inside to make sure nothing had been disturbed. it didn't seem like anything had happened while she was gone, so she breathed a sigh of relief when her chicks began to loudly chirp beside her bed. they seemed hungry already…

she checked the soup, not seeing steam from it anymore. it was still pretty warm, so she had to be careful though… it could cool more while she put the rest in it. she headed to a desk underneath one of the windows, and set the bowl down on it. she poured in some of the seeds from her satchel, and took out her pickaxe. she could use anything else, but this was fine… she began to crush the seeds into the soup with the end of the handle, and stir the soup at the same time. when she was done, she blew on the soup to cool it down further as she brought it to the chicks. she moved the nest carefully to the wall, and set the soup down in front of them. as soon as they smelled it, they pushed past each other, and stuck their beaks into the soup, eagerly beginning to eat. 

aphmau sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for them to finish. she wanted to bring the nest itself to the farmer, or farmers, so that they could help her figure out the species of both of them. and then the soup would be able to cool, and be good enough for them to continue eating from for the rest of the day.

she kicked her feet, looking around the room as she waited. this house was really small… but so were the houses back in phoenix drop, at least the ones that were by the lord's house were.

distracted by her thoughts, she was pulled back into reality after hearing knocking at her door. did anyone know she lived here? anyone _she_ knew anyways?

she sighed, getting up and heading to the door. she opened it, and was surprised to see kawaii~chan standing outside.

" kawaii~chan? " of all people she expected to see today, kawaii~chan wasn't one of them. " what are you doing here? "  
' hi aphmau~san! " kawaii~chan waved, and smiled brightly. " kawaii~chan wanted to come pay aphmau~san a visit. we haven't been in this village for very long, and… she wanted to know how aphmau~san was holding up! and… y'know, kawaii~chan could offer her company..? "

" well, i suppose i don't mind… i was just about to head out, but we can talk for a little. "

" is aphmau~san sure? " kawaii~chan tilted her head, her ears flopping to one side, and tail swaying to that side as well. " she can come back if aphmau~san is supposed to be going out soon... "

" no, it's okay, kawaii~chan. come on in, " aphmau flashed the girl a smile, and moved out of the way to let her in. kawaii~chan walked in thanks to her invitation, and looked idly around the room.

" aphmau~san has a very neat house… neater than kawaii~chan's old one, teehee! " 

" heh, i doubt that… " aphmau had seen it herself. unless one counted the vines, it wasn't very messy at all. it had been left in pretty good condition after the invasion… which in itself was pretty surprising.

" oh phooey… " kawaii~chan waved her head, going over to aphmau's bed and running her hand along the blanket for a moment. she paused from speaking, and sat down, making herself comfortable. " if aphmau~san had seen kawaii~chan while she was in business, she would think otherwise! the attic would be a mess of coal and soups and sweets… her bed would be all messed up with the blankets half off the bed and on the floor, since most of the time she jumped out of bed too late when she was supposed to be open much earlier… and her tables would end up getting messed up from the people that decided to stay and eat in the mini cafe instead of taking the food and leaving! "

" did you not like when people sat in the cafe to eat..? " aphmau took a seat next to kawaii~chan, and folded her hands in her lap.

" well, kawaii~chan didn't mind, _per say_ … " she mumbled under her breath. " it was just… kawaii~chan likes to talk to herself, and sing, but she doesn't do it in front of people because it embarrasses her. she gets a bit of anxiety every time someone opens the door and she hears the bell ring… she fears they were leaning on the door and listening through it as she was singing or talking, and they were going to come in and laugh at her or clap or… something. "

" i'm guessing you aren't too confident in your singing, specifically. "

" well… not really! "

" why not? with your voice, it seems like you would be really good at singing and hitting high notes… "

" t-that's what kawaii~chan means… she's just so shy and hearing people compliment her voice makes her get all nervous, and feel like she has to stay this certain level or tone for people to like it… "

" oh, kawaii~chan, don't think like that… try the tones yourself, see how they flow! and try to sing in places where you're confident you're going to be totally alone. that's the only way you're going to feel comfortable, right? "

" well… kawaii~chan has never tried anywhere that isn't her home… "

" you can go find a place yourself! just make your own little happy place. pick flowers, or stare at yourself in a pond, or lock and cover the door and just… let it out. that sounds good, doesn't it? "

" it… it does! " kawaii~chan laughed, and looked at aphmau. " wow, kawaii~chan came over to give aphmau company, and instead she got comforting..! isn't that wild..? "

" yeah, it is, haha! " aphmau laughed to herself.

" kawaii~chan is glad for this talk though… b-but, she should get going now! it would be nice for her to try and find a little space for herself as long as we're all in meteli, right? and aphmau~san has somewhere that she needs to go, so kawaii~chan shouldn't interrupt anymore! "

" hey, you weren't interrupting, it's okay, " aphmau tried to reassure kawaii~chan as she got up from the bed.

" i-if aphmau~san is sure. " kawaii~chan smiled back at her. " kawaii~chan may come visit later, if aphmau~san wants to chat! "

" i'm totally up for that, as long as it isn't _too_ late, okay? "

" kawaii~chan will make note of that! but… bye for now, aphmau~san! "

" bye bye. "

the two girls waved to each other, before kawaii~chan happily skipped out the door, and ran down the street. aphmau glanced at the window, seeing kawaii~chan's ears peek out through them as she ran down the street.

aphmau glanced back at the nest, seeing the chicks fast asleep, and a good amount of the soup gone from the bowl. she scooped the nest up into her arms as she got to her feet, and held it close to her, making sure they were safe. they had knocked off the rag when they went to eat, so she wrapped them up in it again. cobweb moved, curling up into the rag, trying to stay warm. aphmau let them both settle again, before she looked at the door.

guess it's time to find that farmer…

aphmau feels herself growing more confident with talking to people, and she doesn't feel as nervous as she heads out the door. as she looks down the road, she sees kawaii~chan's tail snake around a building on the right side, and disappear. as aphmau walks, she remembers what the cook told her to find the farmer. go past the tailor, go to their left… that would be hers when she walks down the road. to the west wall… well, whichever way she's going, it's west. they said she'd see the crops before seeing the house, so that's an easy enough sign. 

she keeps repeating the instructions to herself, and staring at her feet as they move down the street. she paused at the end of the street to look up, and turn left.

she headed for the cook's shop first. she almost walked past it again, lost in thought. she almost turned to go inside as well, but then remembered what she was doing very quickly. she glanced ahead, and kept walking. when she saw the tailor, she saw the open patch of road beside the building, and began walking down it. as she went, she saw it change from gravel and cobblestone to a grass path, patted down with a shovel to make a line for the houses she was coming across now. the house, in actuality, was more of a large windmill, dare she say rivalling the lord's house.

she stepped through the gate leading into the field, and looked around. no one seemed to be outside, until two people emerged from a small shed beside the windmill. a man and a woman.

now was her chance… " hello! " she spoke up as she walked down the path toward them.

" oh, 'ello there! " the man spoke up, and the lady waved.

" h-hi, i hope i'm not interrupting anything… "

" not at all, dear, " the man shook his head. the lady shook her head as well, and waved her hand. " i've never seen you in meteli before… "

" y-yes, i'm not from here. i came here with another group of people. "

" well, it's nice to meet you, " the man extended his hand. " name's jet. "

" aphmau, " she lifted her hand, and shook the man's.

" and this is my wife, julie. "

the lady waved, and smiled.

" she can't talk, so i hope that ain't a problem… "

" no problem at all, " aphmau smiled at the lady. " it's nice to meet both of you. "

julie patted a space on her heart, and her smile only widened. she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and nodded her head. she must think it's nice to meet aphmau as well… "

" so what'd you need, aphmau? " jet put his hand on his side, and looked down at her.

" oh, right… " aphmau showed him the nest. " well, i've got these two birds… and i was just wondering if either of you could tell me what species they are? i'm… not quite sure, other than this one... " she pointed to cobweb, who ruffled its feathers as it slept. " i'm.. curious about their sexes as well. "

julie pointed to the nest, making a cupping motion with her hands, and then pointing to herself.

" o-oh, yes, you can take them out, i don't mind. "

julie nodded, and took the rag off the chicks, leaving it in the nest. she picked up cobweb, and turned it over, looking over it. she nodded, setting it back down in the nest, before she pointed to herself.

" it's a girl..? " 

julie nodded, glad to know aphmau understood her. she then pointed to a pen on the other side of the wheat field. the pen held a few chickens.

" and she's a chicken… i figured that out. what about the other one? "

julie picked up cutie, who chirped softly as it was lifted. julie examined it as well, and set it back in the nest. she put the rag over both of them again, and cutie quieted. julie pointed to herself again.

" so they're both girls… "

julie nodded, but then shrugged.

" and you aren't sure of the species..? "

she shook her head, and looked up at jet, pointing at cutie. she shrugged again, and shook her head once more.

jet tapped his foot as he thought, seeming a bit frustrated. " not quite sure… her feathers haven't totally grown in, so it's real hard for me to be able to tell right now. if they develop more before ya leave here, you can alway bring her back and we can try and see what she is then? "

" if i stay here long enough for that, i'll be sure to keep it in mind… " aphmau cradled the nest close to herself. " but i do appreciate your help so far. i know cobweb is a chicken, and i know they're both girls… that's good enough for now, thank you both. "

julie nodded her head a few times, and clapped her hands.

" no need to thank us. " jet shook his head. " we're always happy to help out if we can. "

" i'll try to make a note to come back here if the feathers grow more, okay? "

" we'll be happy to have ya again if ya remember. "

" i'm glad to know that… goodbye for now! "

" bye! "

aphmau waved to them both as she walked back down the path. julie and jet both waved back, with julie happily bouncing in place as she did so. aphmau smiled because of it, and headed out the gate, keeping the smile stuck where it was.

as aphmau headed back to the house, she noticed someone seemed to be sitting by the door. she wasn't quite sure who until she stepped closer.

" kawaii~chan? " aphmau walked up the stairs, and looked down to the girl sitting there, with her knees pulled up to her chest, and chin resting on them, arms holding them close.

the girl lifted her head hearing aphmau's voice, and she smiled. " aphmau~san! " she jumped to her feet. " kawaii~chan has been waiting for her! "

" what for? "

" well, aphmau~san said kawaii~chan could come over to continue the conversation later… but then she… found out something and wanted to come warn aphmau~san about it… "

" and that something is..? " aphmau opened the door and headed into the house, beckoning kawaii~chan to follow her. the cat girl did so, and shut the door behind her. aphmau set the nest back down on the bedside table with the soup bowl, just as they woke up, chirping loudly with hunger. she pushed the bowl a bit closer, and let them crawl across the nest to eat.

aphmau spun back around to kawaii~chan. and tilted her head.

the girl rubbed her arm nervously before she spoke up, stuttering just a little. " it's… it's about garroth~san. "

" did something happen? " aphmau became worried, and walked over to kawaii~chan.

kawaii~chan's ears fell flat, and her eyes met the floor. her hands came up, fiddling with the ponytails coming over her shoulders. " nothing bad, thankfully… but… kawaii~chan is still worried. "

" why would you be worried..? "

" he wants to leave meteli in a few days, take back phoenix drop, and find a new lord. "


	10. Keep You Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is forever gonna be slapping you in the face, no matter what you do.  
> \---  
> Second POV switch of the season! This chapter temporarily switches to Kawaii~Chan's POV.  
> \---  
> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter has brief mentions of suicide.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab

" h-he wants to _what?_ " now aphmau was almost as worried as kawaii~chan seemed.

" t-that was kawaii~chan's reaction..! " the cat girl whimpered, crouching down slightly, the tips of her ears flicking anxiously. " he sounded like he wanted to do it so soon, and kawaii~chan is scared..! "

" w-why would he do it so soon? we've only been in meteli for two days..! "

" k-kawaii~chan isn't sure… " kawaii~chan shook her head. " b-but she knows for certain nothing good will come out of going so early..! miracles aren't made of magic, they don't just… happen! he can't possibly believe in something silly like that… even kawaii~chan doesn't, and she's _made_ of magic! "

aphmau felt her thoughts beginning to race, and a new wave of panic rolled over her. either way, she was going to be dragged into this… she knew very well that garroth didn't trust her, and if she just up and disappeared, in a way, it'd be proving him right. he may just think she's a spy for o'khasis… and if she leaves, he'd make sure she never got out of it if they met again. whatever happened, she would be forced into the war. damnit, why did she let herself get caught..?

her mind seemed to wander, carrying her body to her bed, making her sit down and hold her head, the nest of chicks in her lap. her mind kept walking through all that had happened so far, and… all the way back to when she was found…

" kawaii~chan. " she couldn't stop herself from speaking up. " come sit, there's something i need to confess. to you alone. "

" oh irene, more secrets… " kawaii~chan whined, but she listened, putting her thoughts back as she took a seat next to aphmau. " yes, aphmau~san? "

" you're… you're not gonna like this, but don't freak out please..? " her body felt heavy, and it wouldn't let her hold this in anymore. if she was going to be forced into this war, she had to start being honest.

" kawaii~chan is scared... " but the cat girl didn't stop aphmau.

" don't be, " aphmau tried to reassure her. " it's just… serious. "

" okay… continue. "

aphmau took a deep breath, and sighed. she lifted the nest from her lap, and set it on the bedside table. " it's about when the guards found me. you found me with a wound in my arm, and one in my stomach. i told you, garroth, and that guard that i was stabbed by someone, and put in that chest. "

" yes, that matches what aphmau~san said… " it was easy for aphmau to hear the nervousness in kawaii~chan's voice, and it made her feel uneasy.

" yeah, it does… " aphmau shrugged, rubbing her arms, trying to keep herself grounded. her foot idly tapped the floor, barely making much noise at all. " well… i need to tell you now, and please don't tell anyone else this yet, i don't know how they're going to take it. but… all that stuff i said, well most of it anyways..? it… it was a lie. "

" a lie?! " the fur on kawaii~chan's ears and tails bristled, and her eyes shrunk into a glare, pupils sliding as thin as ladybug wings. she got to her feet, standing in front of aphmau with balled fists. aphmau flinched once she looked up into the girl's eyes, but she kept going.

" i stabbed myself, " she admitted. " i heard guards come into phoenix drop, and they began searching for someone who had been rummaging through the chests. that person was me. i looked in every place, in every house. i went to your cafe, the house in front of it, the biggest, the housing district… i looked everywhere. i took what i needed, and left. and when they came in, i panicked. i went up to the guard tower to find more supplies, maybe something to escape with, i don't remember now… but then i heard them coming up. and i just… had an idea. because i saw one of the chests was empty. "

she remembered pulling the dagger out of her belt, and staring at herself through the blade's shine. it totally covered her face, except for what was below her eyes. she had no other thoughts as she climbed inside that chest, with the dagger already lodged into her shoulder.

" i stabbed myself in the shoulder first, and climbed inside. i didn't think it was enough; i wasn't bleeding fast enough. so i stabbed myself in the stomach, leaving just enough room it wouldn't be able to kill me, but it sure as hell would bleed. garroth explained to me in the tent many of the ways he was taught to kill others, and i assumed i did right based on that. if i had hit any vital places, i wouldn't have woken up in your tent. you use your pastries to heal. i'm not sure about magic, but life threatening wounds… may not be in the best of your powers to heal. in all honesty… i-i've just been using your guys for shelter, and protection. "

" why would you do that..? " kawaii~chan clearly was hurt, she even dropped her act. her ears went flat, and her tail drooped. 

" i used to be a thief… " aphmau could explain that much. _the rest…_ that would be for another time. " and a traveler. i'd go from city to city, never really staying in one place… i'd take refuge in abandoned villages, and steal what supplies i could. if i could get a few people to pity me and give me shelter, i'd take their offer, and then leave, acting as if i offed myself. so many people in so many small towns in ru'aun think that i'm dead… i thought phoenix drop would be my last location, but i didn't even know about meteli. i don't even know if i… actually wanna go through with something like that anymore… but i can't lie now. i've duped you all pretty much. and that's not even the end of it. "

" it isn't..? " kawaii~chan's fur was rising and falling, and her face seemed hot, eyes glossy.

" yeah, it isn't, " aphmau shrugged. " garroth doesn't trust me, i don't think. probably thinks i'm some kind of spy or assassin. either way, i don't think he likes me either. and because of that, he's probably not gonna let me go. that's… why i kinda left earlier. i spaced out for a bit because of the stress of that fact. and i know that because of me being forced to stay, i'm gonna be dragged into the war too. and i'm afraid of recognizing someone there who thinks i died years ago. really… i'm very tempted to go back to my original plan. meteli should be my last stop. i've explored this whole region; i don't have a reason to be here any longer. "

" aphmau~san, no… " kawaii~chan shook her head, kneeling down in front of aphmau and gently holding the other girl's hands in her own. " don't think like that..! maybe you've been everywhere, but there are other places besides ru'aun! you have other places to go, other people to see, surely there are other things you can do..? "

" like what? " aphmau looked away, refusing to make eye contact with kawaii~chan now.

" well… aphmau~san could always be a guard… " kawaii~chan shrugged. " it'd give her home, shelter, and something to do with her life… "

" so you want me to be a guard for phoenix drop then? " she looked at kawaii~chan and raised an eyebrow.

" it's all up to aphmau~san, " she brought a nervous smile to her face. " but it would be nice. "

" huh… " aphmau got up, shoving off kawaii~chan's hands and walking away from her. " funny now that i'm talking about my plans to kill myself, all the sudden you want me to stick around. i thought ya didn't like strangers. "

" a-aphmau~san, that was just for kawaii~chan's tent..! " kawaii~chan got up, walking to aphmau and putting a hand on her shoulder. aphmau didn't turn around to look at her, and instead crossed her arms. " and aphmau~san is no stranger now. now kawaii~chan knows some of her. her name, what she did, the _real_ reason that she is around… kawaii~chan knows it all! well… not all of it, but that's up to aphmau~san to discuss... "

aphmau stayed quiet, not entirely convinced quite yet. her eyes met the floor, and she felt tears pool in them.

kawaii~chan sighed, spinning aphmau around by force and grabbing her by the shoulders. " aphmau~san. listen. " aphmau met her eyes at last. " kawaii~chan knows she has been… not the kindest to aphmau~san thus far, with… well basically begging for her to be gone so she can have her tent back, and such like that… and now she's trying to get all friendly with aphmau~san, yes, she knows it seems bad… but kawaii~chan has told aphmau~san some of her backstory too! she is a witch, she owned that cafe in phoenix drop, she lived with her mentor after her family left phoenix drop, she is the town healer, and her pastries all have magical properties... and now she knows about aphmau~san. she wanted a home, a place to live and eat, she wanted to explore the whole region before she found her last stop… and then after she found that stop, she would kill herself. for real. "

hearing the words straight from kawaii~chan made a few tears roll down aphmau's face, which were quickly brushed away by the soft gloves kawaii~chan wore on her hands.

" kawaii~chan's point is… if aphmau~san was willing to share that secret with her… it means she trusts kawaii~chan too. and kawaii~chan will do her best to make the relationship between herself and aphmau~san better, as long as aphmau~san promises she won't do anything rash. she doesn't have to join the guard, or anything… just be a citizen that kawaii~chan can take responsibility for. and like she said; don't do anything. aphmau~san can never know if she will regret such a thing after death. the afterlife in this world has never been very good at handling souls… "

somehow, aphmau's thoughts drifted. what did kawaii~chan mean by that… she fell silent, eyes glancing off again, a hand gently wrapping around one of kawaii~chan's wrists, holding her hand against aphmau's cheek.

_this world has never been very good at handling souls…_

...kawaii~chan was talking about shadow knights, wasn't she?

aphmau remembered. back in the tree in phoenix drop, when they were almost caught by shadow knights… she demanded the guards tell her what the deal with shadow knights was. and one of them told her the only way to turn into one was if you die once. but she didn't know more than that.

" ...right... " aphmau finally brought herself to answer kawaii~chan. " i… i understand… but what am i supposed to do then? "

" that's all up to aphmau~san. " kawaii~chan brought her hands away from aphmau's face, sliding her wrist out of aphmau's hand, and gently cupping it in both of her gloves. " kawaii~chan can't control what she does. only she can. " the cat girl smiled at her.

aphmau managed to smile back, and hold onto kawaii~chan's hand. " r-right. of course. "

they went into a comfortable silence for a few moments. aphmau felt her hand get empty and cold as kawaii~chan pulled hers back, and looked to the bedside table.

" aphmau~san's birds are sleeping, " she spoke softly, as if she didn't want to disturb them.

aohmau glanced to the nest. " yeah, i guess they are... they must've eaten then went to bed, and we didn't realize. "

" kawaii~chan should leave then. more conversation is sure to awaken them, " kawaii~chan nodded to aphmau as she walked to the door. she opened it, and paused, glancing back at aphmau. " and one more thing, aphmau~san? "

" yes? " aphmau looked to kawaii~chan, and put her hands together.

" if aphmau~san, hypothetically, _does_ want to become a guard... " kawaii~chan smiled. " kawaii~chan will welcome her to phoenix drop with open arms. but if she wants that to happen… she should talk to garroth~san first. without a lord, he makes all the decisions. aphmau~san can go find him, and he will help her. just trust in that. "

" yeah, i will! " aphmau smiled widely. " um… be safe, kawaii~chan. "

" she will! " kawaii~chan flashed aphmau back a smile, even being confident enough to show the two pointed fangs at the corners of her mouth as she walked out the door, letting it slowly shut behind her, clicking once it hit the wall again, and it didn't move once kawaii~chan was gone.

but kawaii~chan stood outside, for just a moment longer, staring at the door, worry in her eyes. really, she didn't want aphmau to get more involved in this than she already was. asking her to join the guad... what was kawaii~chan thinking?

...well there was no turning back now. kawaii~chan clasped her hands together as she walked down the steps, and headed down the street. she was just going to have to wait, and see what aphmau would pick for herself the next day. as night began to creep on the street, kawaii~chan felt her skin and fur crawl with worry. she brought her hands flat together in front of her chest, and lifted her head, staring up at the sky.

" dear irene, please listen to kawaii~chan this night… " she mumbled, allowing her tail to sway anxiously. " please help aphmau~san make the right decision. please allow her safety as this war comes to its climax. please don't let her get hurt, because of kawaii~chan's suggestion… kawaii~chan prays to you for her safety, and comfort. guide her in the ways she deems necessary, and be sure she does not become a crestfallen soul, as have we in phoenix drop. give your blessing to her these nights, to ensure that she may walk another day, once the war is over. ensure that once it has calmed, and everything has ended, we may see her once more, and welcome her into our arms as you have welcomed our soldiers into yours. please keep my prayer, to guide her, and hope she hears your words of kindness, safety, and courage. thank you, blessed irene. amen. "

kawaii~chan separated her hands, putting her pointer fingers to her shoulders, dragging them in a curved, diagonal line toward the center of her chest. she then put the tips together and made a line from the center of her neck, down to that same spot on her chest. she drew an oval over the spot, putting her pointer fingers and thumbs together and pulling on the oval as if she were making points at the ends of it. she put her hands crossed over each other, and gently patted the center of her chest 10 times, the strongest she could go for a prayer.

her prayer had been finished. she had confidence that aphmau was going to be safe now. though she did not entirely believe it would become true, with how late it already was. she hoped irene had heard her message, just seconds before the moonrise.

" please, aphmau~san… " kawaii~chan whispered to herself as she balled her hands into fists at her hips. " please don't do anything stupid. "

back at home, aphmau was taking kawaii~chan's words into heavy thought. she was an ocean of negativity at the moment. maybe she'd die in the war, and that would be okay. they could win without her; everyone in that town was strong. maybe they had lost this time, but losing again wouldn't be the easy part. they'd regret the minute they ever set foot in phoenix drop! surely garroth was taking things into account. he may be no lord, but he sure is strong. at least, aphmau believed so.

she'd only seen so much so far, and from that she could guess. he was competent enough to guide his people through the battle, and hide them away from future attacks. he was quick to jump to ideas, anything to keep his people safe, or he believed so anyways.

…

" he has a good heart, " aphmau heard herself say out loud as she began to pace the floor. " i know he's a good man, there's nothing more to that. he's doing everything he can to keep his people safe, ensuring that anyone and everyone around him can be safe. surely he'll… i can prove myself to... "

...was she really going through with this? somehow her thoughts had been clouded. she was more aware now than ever of the thought that kawaii~chan was right. permanent settlement didn't sound all that bad now. she'd have a house, weaponry, food at her feet, she could provide for others, she could protect _her_ people… maybe it would be nice to consider them hers.

…

…

… 

aphmau crawled into bed with only one thought in mind. 

_tomorrow, i will make it official. phoenix drop will become the town i can love, and i will protect its people until my last breath._

she felt hope run through her body, a light amongst the darkness that plagued her crestfallen soul. it brought a smile to her face as her eyes fluttered shut.

_and it will not be at the end of this war. no… i will live another day even after it is done. and i refuse to leave it._

she felt her need to spread love and kindness. she could hear it in her heartbeat.

_the people of phoenix drop will be mine to protect. i must make sure of that…_

as her feelings twirled around in her head, she felt her body become lighter, and the comforting cool of the night through the windows lulled her gently to sleep, and even as she rested, she shuddered with eagerness at the thought that tomorrow would be wonderful for her alone.


	11. This Nothing Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau has serious business to attend to.  
> \---  
> Chapter Title Theme: you should see me in a crown by billie eilish

when aphmau first woke up, she was startled hearing the chicks chirping as soon as her eyes opened. she sat up, and glanced at them. they fell quiet as they began to eat the last of the soup in their bowl. as they ate, aphmau watched, noticing just how covered they were now in feathers. cobweb was a full yellow, and cutie was growing feathers on her wings, neck, and head. in comparison to cobweb, cutie was the exact opposite in color; she was gray, apart from the fade of yellow feathers going up over her neck onto the head. soon enough, aphmau would be able to bring her back to the farmers to tell what her species is… she was excited to find out.

she sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes on her glove, and wiping it off on her sweater. she never really got a chance to properly wake up these days… and she was becoming more aware of the growling in her stomach as she came to her senses. she got to her feet, and stretched, bending her back and pulling at her arms and legs. once she felt ready enough, she looked to the door, and then back at the chicks. she untied the satchel of seeds from her side, and poured a good pile into the bowl. she brought out her pickaxe, and mashed the seeds into smaller pieces, almost like a powder. she brought out her canteen of water. this was all she had left… she could fill it up again.

she poured the water into the bowl with the crushed seeds, and mixed them together. it was almost soup like, though the seeds soaked up some of the moisture. she decided that would be enough for them. at least she hoped so… she hoped she wouldn't come back to seeds growing in the bowl, but maybe the birds wouldn't mind that either. 

no.. she'd take care of that if it did happen. 

right now she had other matters to attend to.

she tied the satchel back to her belt, and exited the house. she'd gotten a bit better with the layout of the place, so now at least she could navigate to where she needed to go easily. she had a very basic map in the back of her head that she could follow.

she arrived at the kitchenette, and headed inside. the cook seemed happy to see her again.

" ah, hello madam! " they waved to her and leaned on the counter. " good morning! "

" good morning, sir… " she couldn't be bothered to raise her voice any higher than a mumble.

" did you find everything alright with the farmers? i'm sure julie loved to see you! "

" y-yes, and she was very kind… " aphmau nodded and smiled. " if it weren't for you giving me directions, i wouldn't have met her… wish i could return the favor somehow. "

" well, i am always open for applications for part time workers! " the cook clapped their hands together. " just a thought! "

" i'll keep it in mind… uh, for now, i just… really need to wake up… "

" oooh, a breakfast of course! what would you like, miss? "

" you don't happen to have cinnamon milk, do you..? "

" well, not on our menu… but i do know the recipe! "

" i'd say you should add it; it's good. it always wakes me up in the morning for some reason… "

" good to note! i will not charge you for that. anything else? "

" um… fried eggs with bacon bits, and... " she glanced to the menu. " ooh… potato stuffed with sausage! that and, u-um, a side of ketchup please. "

" coming right up! please go sit, miss, i will bring it out to you! "

" thank you… "

aphmau spun around and sat down at a table beside the window. when she looked back at the counter top, she expected to see the cook heading back, but they were waiting. and then she heard the bell ring, and watched someone walk to the counter. is that… kawaii~chan?

" hello! " she spoke up, her tail happily swishing.

" ah, our messenger! " the cook bounced in place. " i did not expect to be seeing you here! "

" kawaii~chan was really hungry today, and she is low on material… but not on money! " the cat girl hummed as she made a circle on the counter, pink sparkles coming from what she drew. after the circle was complete, a bundle of coins appeared, which she slid over to the cook. " kawaii~chan's usual, please! "

" coming up, dear! " the cook slid the money in their hands, and headed back into the kitchen at last. kawaii~chan looked around the room, and her ears perked seeing aphmau.

" aphmau~san! " kawaii~chan walked over, and sat with her. " kawaii~chan didn't even notice her when she came in… "

" hey… " aphmau waved her hand, rubbing at her eyes again, and combing her other hand through her hair.

" goodness, aphmau~san's hair is a mess, hehe! "

" shut up about it… " aphmau yawned, and hunched back in her chair.

" here… " kawaii~chan got to her feet, flicking her tail and curling it in the air. the space between the curls glistened with pink sparkles, and a dark fuchsia brush appeared. she took it from her tail, letting it sway normally again, and she walked behind aphmau. " kawaii~chan will help! "

" um… thank you… " aphmau straightened her back, and crossed one of her legs over her opposite knee. she tried to stay still as kawaii~chan wrapped her hand around aphmau's hair, and began brushing through it.

" it isn't as bad as it looks, " kawaii~chan mumbled as she brushed.

" it isn't? " aphmau wanted to tilt her head, but instead just let her eyes wander, and her hands tap her thighs awkwardly.

" it looks very tangled, but kawaii~chan's brush is sliding through it very easily. " somehow, aphmau could tell kawaii~chan was smiling. " aphmau~san must take very good care of her hair. "

" ah… " aphmau chuckled nervously. " w-well, i haven't had a proper bath in a while, so i'm not sure how that's possible… "

" oh! aphmau~san should relax in the meteli spa at some point! cadenza~chan has told her that the people who run the place are  _ very  _ nice, and rarely do what the customers do not ask of them. "

" wait, you know cadenza? "

" of course! cadenza~chan is the lord's daughter, and she is the town tailor! kawaii~chan has met her a few times on her visits, and has modelled for cadenza~chan's clothing lines. she's supposed to be going to the tailor today to try out a new outfit cadenza~chan is designing for the guards, along with her brother apparently. kawaii~chan isn't sure; cadenza~chan always makes things mysteries when it comes to fashion. "

" huh… i'm guessing there's a lot of people in meteli you know then. "

" yes… kawaii~chan used to come here very often before the invasion. she used to be a messenger for phoenix drop's librarian. she would often deliver letters the librarian wrote to hayden~sensei. it was very fun, because kawaii~chan got to memorize the path, and she got to meet cadenza~chan! kawaii~chan considers her more of a sister now than ever... "

" have you guys known each other a long time? " aphmau felt aware of the hair on her back again, and the gentle brushing against it as kawaii~chan ran the brush through it, now out of the air and her hands.

" well, cadenza~chan used to not always be around... " kawaii~chan paused brushing for a moment, and continued a second later. " she was always too busy outside of meteli getting materials to start her tailoring business. but then she started showing up in hayden~sensei's manor, and kawaii~chan was able to meet her! she has never met cadenza~chan's brother though... cadenza~chan speaks very fondly of him, however. it is nice hearing her talk! "

" he must be pretty nice then… " she felt a puff of air behind her, and when kawaii~chan walked to sit in front of aphmau again, the brush was missing. of course, magic. 

" supposedly, yes, " kawaii~chan nodded as she sat down. " kawaii~chan is excited! "

" i can tell… " aphmau felt more woken up just from talking to kawaii~chan.

as the conversation closed off, the cook came out with two trays.

" here you are, ladies! madam, your eggs and potato… your cinnamon milk is here. and for miss kitten, we have pancakes with peanut butter, strawberries, and chocolate covered sunflower seeds! enjoy! " the cook bowed to the two, and walked back to stand behind the counter.

" wow, that looks good… " aphmau could feel her eyes widening looking at what kawaii~chan had ordered. the cat girl picked a sunflower seed off her tray, and popped it in her mouth. aphmau got a glimpse of her fangs before her mouth clamped shut.

" mhm! " kawaii~chan nodded her head excitedly. " it is! kawaii~chan orders this every time she comes here… it's the best thing on the menu, in her opinion! "

" well, that's why it's called your usual, right? i heard you say that at the counter, " aphmau picked up her fork and knife off the plate, and cut off a piece of the potato and sausage, stuffing it in her mouth. 

" yep yep! " kawaii~chan grabbed her fork, and began cutting through her pancakes, licking her lips in the process. " it's so good… aphmau~san should try it sometime! "

aphmau chuckled as she swallowed her bite. " can i try one of the sunflower seeds? "

" be kawaii~chan's guest! " she nudged that part of her tray over to aphmau, before shoving a big bite of pancakes in her mouth.

" thanks. " aphmau picked up one of the sunflower seeds, and popped it in her mouth. she began to suck on it first, noting how sweet the chocolate was. it must be made here. once she got through to the sunflower, she bit into it. she wasn't as much a fan of the actual seed in comparison to the chocolate.

" what kind of chocolate do they use for these? " aphmau swallowed the seed anyways, even if she didn't like it.

kawaii~chan shrugged and shook her head before she finished another bite. " kawaii~chan isn't sure! she thinks the cook makes it themself. "

" that's what i was thinking. it's  _ really  _ sweet… " she kept eating her own food; she didn't want to steal all of kawaii~chan's.

" well, there's a reason for that, " kawaii~chan giggled as she popped a few more seeds in her mouth. " the cook always makes kawaii~chan's food  _ extra  _ sweet because she is a meif'wa! "

" oh, there's a full name for your species… i kept calling you a cat girl. "

" it's okay! same thing. except there are cat boys too, kawaii~chan just doesn't see many of them. but meif'was are literally just cat people. kawaii~chan told the cook she wanted her food extra sweet, and eventually it became a habit, and became kawaii~chan's usual! so, the chocolate isn't always this sweet… neither is this syrup, hehe! they just make it special for kawaii~chan! "

" good to note for if i ever turn into a meif'wa, " aphmau laughed.

" pssh, as if that will happen… " kawaii~chan rolled her eyes, and kept going through her pancakes.

once the two were done, kawaii~chan headed to the door, and aphmau went to the counter. kawaii~chan waited for her patiently. aphmau looked through her bag, and pulled out the money she had gotten from the village, counting it out on the counter. she swore she had more in her bag before… but she chose not to focus on that for now. maybe she counted wrong. she slid the money to the cook, who took it and headed back into the kitchen.

aphmau headed to the door. " i-i'd love to keep hanging out with you, kawaii~chan, but… i've gotta talk to garroth today about what we discussed yesterday. "

" kawaii~chan understands. " the cat-- ...meif'wa nodded her head. " kawaii~chan has to go to the tailor to meet with cadenza~chan anyways. she can't be late, or cadenza~chan might send guards to hunt kawaii~chan down, haha! "

" hah, yeah, don't want that to happen, " aphmau rolled her eyes and laughed as she walked outside with kawaii~chan. " do you have any idea where garroth might be though? "

" last thing kawaii~chan heard, he was taking phoenix drop guards out into the meteli woods for training. but she isn't sure if that's still true. she recommends talking to meteli guards before heading out there. "

" i'll keep that in mind. thank you kawaii~chan. "

" be safe, aphmau~san. " the two girls nodded to each other, turning their backs to the other, and walking in opposite directions; kawaii~chan towards the tailor, and aphmau to the front gates. she wasn't really sure what to say…  _ other guards know garroth, right? _ she almost wanted to slap herself for asking such a question. fool, of course they do! if laurance knew him, it should be obvious the others do as well.

as she approached the gates, she saw a familiar guard. she, of course, went to him first.

" gale! " she waved as he turned to her.

" ah, aphmau, hello there, " he nodded to her in greeting. " need something? "

" just a small thing, " she nodded her head, and smiled behind her scarf. " i'm looking for garroth. have you seen him anywhere? "

" garroth… ah yes, that head guard. i believe he is with his troops outside training. we can open the gate for you, if you would like. "

" yes please, i have urgent business with him. i can't wait forever. "

" understood, i shall return. " gale dipped his head, and then headed up the stairs onto the wall. he spoke with one of the guards, and soon, once again, aphmau jumped as the gate opened, she slid underneath it while it was still opening, and headed out. the forest wasn't all that big… a lot of its wood must've been used in the construction of meteli. 

now where could they be out here..?

it wasn't made very obvious that they were out here at all. perhaps stealth training? she walked to the edge of the trees, and glanced around in the branches, trying to spot the shapes of people. she looked around a few trees as well. no one seemed to be hiding there either.

where…

and then she realized she was looking on the wrong side of the forest as the guards, and garroth himself, emerged from the other side. well, shit.

" that's it for now. we're heading back, " garroth spoke to the guards as they emerged from the trees.

" garroth, " aphmau tried to keep a steady voice as she approached him.

" ah- aphmau, " he seemed surprised to see her, but it wasn't all that easy to tell just by eyes alone. " did you need me for something? "

" yes… i have something serious i need to talk to you about. of course, if you don't mind. "

" i don't mind very much at all, lady. what is it? "

" it's just… " aphmau glanced away, now nervous. her hands had begun to shake. she balled them into fists, and tapped her thumbs against the knuckles on her pointer fingers. a nervous habit of hers she had never been able to break, even as an adult… " with all that's been happening, and all that you've told me… i'm a little bit worried of how this whole war and all is going to affect me. and… i made a decision. "

garroth's expression appeared more serious now. " and that decision is? "

" i… " she tried to speak with confidence. " i want to join phoenix drop's army. i want to be a guard myself. "

" a guard… " garroth's eyes narrowed through the slits in his helmet. " i'm not sure. "

" w-what do you mean? "

" you don't seem like the kind of person to up and ask that. "

" i… i had a talk with kawaii~chan, and she may have convinced me to ask you about it. "

" kawaii~chan? it seemed to me she didn't like you very much… that's odd. "

" it's only because i was a stranger when i first came. she didn't want me in her tent, she treated me the same as all her other patients without life-threatening injuries. she didn't mean to make me feel unwanted, or make it seem like she didn't like me, she just has a strict system. and i do too. i want to join. "

" i appreciate your passion for this. you want to join badly. but… you should prove yourself. "

" prove myself..? "

garroth pulled a wooden sword and shield off his back, and handed them to her. " you should be training with us. but we have a system as well. you can't join unless you know how to defend yourself. and i haven't seen an act of self defense from you yet. "

aphmau wrapped her hand around the handle of the sword, and latched the shield on her glove. " is that a challenge? "

" perhaps… " garroth picked up a spare shield and sword off of a tree at the edge of the forest. " a duel, maybe? at least enough to show you are capable of taking care of yourself, in the event of disaster. "

" hah… " aphmau would have laughed, but a smirk latched onto her face instead. " if i wasn't able to defend myself, i wouldn't have left my old village. "

garroth had a smile in his eyes. " is that a yes? "

" perhaps. "

" repeating my own word back at me… you have a lot of bark, lady. "

" less bark than bite, i can assure you. "

" prove it. make the first move. "

" eh… you're the trainer. shouldn't you be the one dishing things out if this is supposed to be 'self defense?' "

" good catch. you have a good memory. fine then. let us begin! "

as the other guards gathered around them, the two could only stand in silence, waiting for the other to do something, with shields raised, and swords ready...

and when he flinches, aphmau feels her heart begin to race, seconds before he lunges forth.


End file.
